


glances of a new day have arrived

by rainbowshoes



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Kidfic, M/M, Post-Canon, did not use tags to prevent spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:27:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29774076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowshoes/pseuds/rainbowshoes
Summary: hux has been on the run from the remainder of the resistance, the newly rebuilt new republic, and the dregs of the first order - from everyone - for three years, in hiding with his young daughteruntil poe finds him, of courseonce hux is convinced to go back with poe and stop running - more for his daughter's sake than his own - things seem to go welltoo well
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> i didn't include tags because they would spoil pretty much the entire story
> 
> i will say that the other major archive warnings - mcd, rape/non-con, and underage - don't really apply but there may be other sensitive things in this fic so if you have a specific concern [please ask](https://shyglittercreature.tumblr.com/)
> 
> otherwise ive been working on this for a while, but it hasn't been properly beta'd so sorry for any major errors - the fic is very nearly completely written and i'll try to remember to update regularly

It stank of Bantha shit, and the heat was muggy and oppressive in a way that most likely meant rain later. Hux extracted himself from the inside of the cultipacker and swiped his arm across his forehead, his sleeve catching and wicking away the sweat. It took a moment more for him to gather the few tools he'd brought with him to work on the agricultural machinery and tuck them into his rucksack. It wasn't much, and it wasn't challenging or particularly stimulating, but it was worth a few credits and gave him something to do. 

The climb down was more difficult than it really had any right to be, even with the ladder. As soon as his feet were on the ground, he sat on one of the runners. He wiped away more sweat. The blasted heat made him miss the perfectly controlled, always slightly-too-cold climates on star destroyers and other super-massive spacecraft. This heat served as a bitter reminder of Jakku and his father's never-ending disappointment. 

Oh, if only Brendol could see him now. 

That thought made him smirk. He collected his cane from where it rested against the runner beside him and he hauled himself to his feet. The laborer in charge of this particular piece of equipment would collect the ladder later, so at least he didn't have to bother with that. The walk back to the little housing units where the laborer and her extended family lived was long, though, and Hux was already tired. 

Still, needs must. He drank the last of the water in the canteen he carried with him always, but he didn't worry too much. He could refill it before leaving again, and at least he had a swoop waiting for him there. 

The sounds of screaming and laughing and playing echoed across the empty farmland as he neared the housing units. It made him smile, just a little. The Columexii were humanoid, though tall - taller than Hux by a whole head on average - with sandy to dark mud colored skin. It made his Rhyz easy to pick out as she ran among them with her bright red hair and fair skin and freckles. 

One of the others must have pointed out his approach to her, for she stopped in her game and tossed the ball she held to one of the others before running toward him. He didn't quite smile, but he could feel his face grow soft as he cupped her shoulder and brought her close to his side. 

"All done?" Her clear, high voice lacked the Arkanis accent that had always marked him out. He didn't know what sort of accent she had - they'd never been in one place long enough for her to pick up much of one, and she wasn't really old enough for it anyhow. 

He hummed his affirmative and rubbed at her cheek. "You've got mud on your face." 

"We were playing," she said very seriously. She was always very serious. Everything was always treated like it was the most important thing in the world. Hux supposed that, for her, it was. "K'lec's mum made us lunch, and then we made mud cakes for dessert." She tugged at his hand. "We didn't really eat them. Just pretend."

"I suppose that means we must go home and make real cakes, then?" Hux asked, raising one eyebrow at her. She nodded once and kicked at a rock. He didn't quite laugh. "Very well. Do you remember what we need to make cakes?" 

She thought about it as they walked closer to the housing unit. It was made of mud bricks, and most of it was dug into the ground itself to keep it cool. H'tena, the woman who managed this bit of land, had come outside and was waiting for them. She waved one three-fingered hand in greeting. Rhyz waved wildly back. 

"Flour and eggs," Rhyz said. "And milk! Chocolate, too, to make it good."

"That's most of it," Hux agreed. "We also need sugar." 

Rhyz nodded and tugged at his hand. "I need my datapad so I can write it down."

"I'll remind you when we get home," Hux told her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. He patted her shoulder. "Go and say goodbye." She bounded off, and Hux walked the last few steps toward H'tena. 

"That took longer than expected." She was smiling as she said it, and Hux understood she was teasing. 

"That machine dates back to before the Clone Wars, what did you expect?" He arched an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. "It's fixed, but I can't say for how long. You should contact whoever is running the Perlemian Trade Route these days and have them give you new equipment. The next time it breaks, I might not be able to fix it." Nor was he likely to be around, but he wouldn't mention that. 

H'tena shrugged again. "It works for now. If it breaks again, I'll worry about it then." Hux would never understand that aspect to their culture. They had no real sense of the future. None of it mattered - only the present moment.

They settled on his payment, Hux refilled his canteen, and Rhyz appeared by his side once more, ready and waiting to go. He nodded his own goodbye, and they walked toward the swoop that would take them back to the much larger settlement. It was by no means a city - it didn't even have a proper port - but it was the closest thing to it, and part of the reason Hux had stayed on Columex as long as he had was because there were so few humans and because this little backwater planet had stayed out of the war. They'd known there was  _ a  _ war, but they hadn't been involved, and they were content to not know anything about it. 

Hux privately thought it was going to get them all killed or enslaved one day, but he was a pessimist. 

Rhyz climbed up onto the swoop first and settled herself right at the front. Hux put his bag in the back storage compartment and secured his cane to the side with the magnetic clips he'd designed and installed, then he sat behind Rhyz and got the swoop started. Once they were out on the wide, flat road that led back to the settlement, he let her steer because she enjoyed it and there was no harm in it. Even if she did take them off the road, all that lay to either side was more farmland. 

The trip wasn't long with the swoop, thankfully. Hux took over once more when they got close, but Rhyz kept her hands on top of Hux's, pretending she was still in control anyway. He had already taught her how all the mechanics operated, but he still talked her through it as he slowed the swoop and brought it to a stop. 

Rhyz jumped down first, but she stayed close as Hux got down after her. The settlement was large enough to get occasional visitors from other planets. Usually they were passing through as part of the Perlemian Trade Route, but not always. There were unusual faces at least once or twice each week, and Hux was too paranoid to trust any of them, even if he didn't recognize them. 

Rucksack on his shoulder and cane in one hand, he held Rhyz' hand with the other as they walked through the market stalls for what they needed for supper and Rhyz' cakes. Hux also kept an eye out for any sort of tech he could use. He'd bastardized more than he cared to think about to make functioning gadgets for himself and toys for Rhyz or simple things he could sell. 

Rhyz stayed quiet by his side as they walked. Most of the stall runners knew Hux and Rhyz well enough not to bother them too much. They turned down the next row and Hux bought a few more things. There was an odd fruit local to the planet that made a nice juice which both Hux and Rhyz enjoyed, and Hux turned to head for the stall where it was sold. Then he paused. 

There was another human on the planet. That wasn't unheard of, but it was unusual. Those humans who ran the Perlemian Trade Route mostly found the Columexii unsettling with their reptilian features and habits, and so they didn't often come themselves. 

This man was… familiar. It wasn't until he turned that Hux realized why, just as his stomach sank straight past his feet into the rich, black earth. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if it would fertilize the ground or poison it. 

"Papa?" Rhyz asked, her voice pitched higher than usual in her worry. 

Poe Dameron was staring back at Hux, and Hux felt as if his feet had grown roots. He was vaguely aware of Rhyz dropping his hand, but it wasn't until the sun glinted off the tiny blaster in her hands and the Columexii around them hissed in annoyance that Hux really realized what Rhyz was doing. 

He didn't stop her. 

Dameron took a few steps closer. "So." He didn't look hostile. He wasn't drawing his own blaster or calling for reinforcements. But he was looking at Rhyz, and that put Hux's back up. "This is why you turned on them, huh?"

It took a second for him to process what Dameron had said. Rhyz looked as if she was about to fire her blaster, but Hux put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She lowered it, but she didn't put it away. 

"I wondered how long it would take for you to find me." Not Dameron specifically, no, but anyone from the New Republic. He'd been running for… nearly three years. He was tired. It was no sort of life. But it was the only life he could have with Rhyz. 

"We've been looking," Dameron admitted. That didn't surprise Hux. He'd seen them before with just enough time before they spotted him to flee yet again. It had been over a year since the last time, though. He'd gotten sloppy here on Columex, wanting to give Rhyz some semblance of stability. "I haven't had much time to spare for it lately, though." He smiled, then, a rakish, flirtatious thing, which baffled Hux. "Wanna go get a drink? I have a feeling that little dragon snake of yours will kill me if I try to do anything to hurt you." He held up both hands in surrender, one piece of the green and purple fruit Hux had been after in his hand. 

Hux allowed himself to smile just a little as he rubbed a comforting hand over Rhyz' back. "She'd certainly do her best." He didn't want her to have to try. She was too young for that. He let the smile drop and stared at Dameron. "Why have you come?" He needed to know if these were going to be the last few hours of freedom he had with his daughter. 

Dameron looked oddly serious. Hux could still recall the file the First Order had on him, and he wasn't the type for seriousness. "You saved us. Saved the whole galaxy. Without the information you gave us, Palpatine probably would have plunged us into an even worse war, one we wouldn't have won. And... you know. You saved my life." He shrugged, not like it didn't matter, but like he didn't know what else to say about that situation and how it had come about. "I have a pardon for you, if you want it." 

Hux snorted. The idea of a pardon from the New Republic was laughable. "What would I do with it? Where could I possibly go? Another dump of a planet like this one where no one will recognize me? Back to your precious  _ Resistance _ where I'm certain most of them want my head on a platter for the destruction of Hosnian Prime?" He knew any pardon they offered him would have so many strings attached that death would be a better alternative - if he didn't have Rhyz to think about and worry over. 

"Why don't we talk about it over drinks? And you can tell me about her." Dameron nodded at Rhyz, and Hux hated how interested he was. "I'm really curious, Hux, I gotta admit. You don't seem the type." 

"Only because I was never allowed to be." He disliked admitting even that much for the way it made Dameron frown and likely begin making guesses and conjectures that probably weren't too far off base. Still, Hux didn't see where he had much choice. The Columexii were pacifists and they didn't like this little showdown. Hux didn't want to risk what little standing he had with the people he knew, and he didn't want to have any sort of conversation with Dameron where it could be overheard. "Come with me." He patted Rhyz' shoulder, and she looked up at him for a moment before putting her blaster away once more. 

Hux went to the fruit stall, bought a sack of the fruit Dameron had in his hand, tucked it away in his rucksack, and he left without looking for anything interesting like he usually did. Rhyz clung tight to his hand the whole way, and Dameron followed them as they walked back to their swoop. 

"Huh." Dameron watched Rhyz clamor up onto the swoop. "I've got my old X-Wing, but I don't have one of those." 

Chances were, Dameron had already let someone know he'd found Hux just as soon as he'd spotted him. Even if he hadn't and Hux just… killed him… the Columexii had seen Dameron, and they'd seen Hux and Dameron speaking. They all knew Hux, too, even if they didn't all know his name. The New Republic probably knew exactly where Dameron was, and they would send someone to come looking for him if he didn't report back to them. Hux could, possibly, run again, but for how long? 

"My home is about three klicks northeast of here," Hux said at last. "The main road branches off to a narrow path. There's a tree near it." That would have to be enough. There weren't too many trees around, and most of the dwellings were to the south and west where it was just a little bit hotter and dryer. 

"I'll find it," Dameron said with a nod and, of all things, a smile. He lifted his hand in a wave, then turned and walked away.

Hux tucked away the rucksack and clipped his cane to the swoop and settled behind Rhyz. "Who was that?" she asked, just a little frightened but mostly curious. 

"He was a pilot with the Resistance," Hux said truthfully. "I very nearly killed him." He got them on the main road. "And then I saved his life." It had been a foolish decision, but he'd needed Dameron to live. He would happily shoot FN-2187 if he ever saw him again, though. 

"Why?" Rhyz asked. Normally Hux didn't mind that question. Today, he didn't know how to answer it. She leaned back against his chest rather than pretend to drive. 

"Because he was important," Hux said at last. "He and his friends had to fight Palpatine." He was never sure how much she truly remembered or understood, but he had never lied to her, even if he had edited some of the gorier details. "I had been telling him secrets for a long time." 

"The important ones?" Rhyz asked. "The ones that made the proud guy really mad?"

Hux dropped one arm and hugged her close. "Yes." He had to put his hand back up, but he hated to do it. "After his friend shot me in the leg, Dameron tried to help me. He offered to help me escape with them. But I couldn't leave without you, so I told him no."

"Why do we gotta stay away, then?" Rhyz asked. 

Hux wanted to hold her close again, but he couldn't. He swallowed hard instead. "Because I did some very terrible things, and a lot of people think I should be executed because of them. Or go to prison for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter that I did a few good things, too. The bad things were too bad, and the good things don't make those bad things go away." 

Rhyz was quiet as she thought that over, which at least gave Hux enough time to compose himself as they neared the housing unit. It was similar to H'tena's in design and color, but a little smaller with fewer accompanying buildings surrounding it. Still, there was more than enough space for Hux and Rhyz. The Columexii had given Hux the building as permanent lodgings because it had been empty for several years and, while no one else wanted to live in it, they also disliked needless waste. It had served Hux and Rhyz well, and Hux would genuinely miss it. 

Just as they were heading inside with their purchases, they heard the X-Wing approaching. It did not scream the way the ion engines on the TIEs always had, but it was loud in its own way. Rhyz watched with sharp, curious eyes as Dameron spun in a tight circle and landed nearby, the guns on the underbelly facing, oddly, away from the house. Dameron opened the hatch and climbed down from the cockpit, and a moment later, a custom, orange and white astromech droid descended from the X-wing and rolled along the ground by Dameron's side as he walked toward Hux and Rhyz and the house. 

"Go inside," Hux told Rhyz, giving her the rucksack. "Put everything away. We'll make your cakes in a little while." 

"Is it safe?" Rhyz asked, her big amber eyes staring up at him. They weren't his eyes. Hux did not remember her mother, just her name and rank. She was probably dead anyhow. Rhyz rarely ever asked about her. But those eyes must have come from her. 

Hux nodded and nudged Rhyz so she would get moving. She did, vanishing into the house with one last look at Dameron and his droid. Hux faced them head on, his hand tightening around his cane. There was a vibroblade concealed inside it, but it wouldn't protect him against a blaster. 

"I'm not here to hurt you," Dameron said, stopping several paces away. He glanced down at the BB unit beside him. "BB-8 has the pardon in his files. I figured you'd want to read it for yourself. A few people know where I am, yeah, but they don't know why, and I haven't told anyone I've found you." He hesitated for a moment. "If you decide you don't like my offer, you can stay here. That little girl… that's your daughter, right?"

Hux nodded once. "Her name is Rhyz." He wondered at Dameron's admittance to not telling anyone he was here. It could be a lie, but even if it wasn't, Hux wouldn't remain on Columex once Dameron left. "Don't hurt my daughter, Dameron." 

The BB unit protested angrily, but Hux ignored it. Dameron frowned at him. "I wouldn't do that, Hux. I don't even want to hurt  _ you _ . I told you, I'm not here for that." 

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe you," Hux said dryly. "I have been running for my life for nearly three years." 

"You don't have to anymore." Dameron sounded so painfully earnest it made Hux's teeth hurt. "Let me explain, okay? If you don't like what I have to say, I'll leave." 

Hux nodded. "Rhyz knows the truth about what I was, what I've done." Dameron looked horrified by that for some reason. "I'm not certain how much she truly understands. I've left out most of the details. She's only five. Keep that in mind, if you would." 

"Of course," Dameron choked. Hux turned from him and walked inside, and Dameron followed. "Can I - can I say hello to her? Introduce her to BB-8?" Hux nodded. 

Rhyz had most of their purchases on the counters in the kitchen area, but she had put the milk away properly at least. She had then thrown herself across the sofa and was now poking at the datapad Hux had given her. "Papa, I can't find any cakes!" she yelled when she heard the door close. 

"Bring it here and come say hello properly," Hux said, holding out his hand. She scrambled up from the sofa and jogged over, practically shoving the datapad into Hux's hand before stepping close to Dameron and the BB unit. 

"Hello, I'm Rhyz," she said. She mimicked the Columexii greeting she had learned from some of the other children she sometimes played with. "What's your name? What's your droid's name? Can I see it?" 

Dameron smiled and chuckled. "I'm Poe. This is BB-8. And sure, but if you take him apart, you have to fix him." The BB unit protested for a moment before spinning around a little and rolling closer to Rhyz. It popped out a utility claw in the shape of a small hand, and Rhyz giggled as she took it and gave it a little shake. 

"Papa, can I -" 

Hux raised an eyebrow at her. "You know where everything is. Just be careful. BB units are much heavier than they look. You can't pick it up." 

Rhyz squealed and then dashed through the house, and the BB unit followed close at her heels. Hux finished locating the recipe she had wanted and set her datapad on the small table where she would find it later. He waved for Dameron to follow him into the kitchen area and he began to put things in their proper places. 

"Well, I guess it's a good thing I know how to fix him up," Dameron said with an awkward chuckle. 

Hux glanced at him. "I can make any repairs necessary. She won't do much more than take it apart and put it back together." 

"What all can you fix, then?" Dameron asked curiously. "Our files on you are pretty slim in the personal details area."

"Whatever I need to fix," Hux paused, then added with a shrug, "or build." He took down two glasses and filled them with some juice, then slid one across the counter toward Dameron. "Weapons, certainly." Dameron grimaced but nodded his agreement. "Spacecraft, droids, basic appliances, holoprojectors, data terminals of every make and model, the list goes on." 

"That's great," Dameron said, and Hux had to blink at how excited and relieved he sounded. Dameron brushed a hand through his curls, then took the glass of juice and drank down several gulps. "So, that pardon, right?" 

And here it came. Hux knew there would be terms and stipulations - some sort of way they would entrap him. He thought about Rhyz automatically. 

"Let me back up," Dameron said, shaking his head. "After we defeated Palpatine, there was still a lot to be done. The New Republic was basically gone and had to be rebuilt and there had to be some kind of central military force. The senators all decided that they weren't going to make the same mistake twice and let another power like the First Order grow uncontested. Not to mention the problems with the cartels and stuff." He shook his head. Hux kept silent. "Anyway, I wound up as something of a liaison between the government and the military to keep both on the same side and to keep them both honest. Like a neutral third party. I'm not the only one, either. And a lot of us are trying to work out how to deal with the remainders of the First Order."

Hux snorted quietly. "I'm surprised it wasn't decided we should all be summarily executed." 

"Some people wanted to do that," Dameron admitted. His obvious lack of comfort with that idea was strange to Hux. "Look, the stormtroopers were all brainwashed. We know that. We have a lot of proof. We know that the officers were too, at least to an extent." He looked straight at Hux. "You can't tell me you weren't indoctrinated into believing in the First Order, Hux." 

"Does it matter?" Hux asked coldly. "I am still responsible for my actions, as is everyone else who served under the First Order. Otherwise we would have had far more defectors like your friend FN-2187. I know what I've done, I've accepted it. Have you?" 

Dameron looked surprised. "So then why turn? Why start giving so many secrets to the Resistance?"

Hux found he couldn't look at Dameron as he admitted what he felt was his greatest weakness. He knew, though, that he wouldn't get away with simply  _ not _ telling him. It was, even if Dameron didn't admit it, another part of the offer of the pardon - Hux would get nothing,  _ Rhyz _ would get nothing, if Hux didn't tell him why he had finally broken enough to turn against everything he had been raised to believe in and fight for. 

"Allegiant General Pryde threatened my daughter," Hux said quietly. Dameron's dark skin went pale, and he put down his glass. "It was not the first time, but I meant it would be the last. After  _ Starkiller  _ crumbled, after the Resistance kept harrying our forces and causing us to lose battles, after the bloody dreadnaught, after  _ Snoke _ \- what should have been my greatest achievement blew up in my face, and Pryde began to take over my position. He told me he would arrange for an accident to befall the ship my daughter was on if I failed again. I refused to let that happen. That was right after Crait. I sent that first transmission the same night. It took months before I managed to get Rhyz close." He never had managed to get to Anye, and he still blamed himself for that. "My daughters have always been used against me, Dameron. They are the reason  _ Starkiller _ came into existence in the first place." 

Dameron took a deep breath. "That. That's exactly what I mean." He shook his head. "You were manipulated into doing things you didn't want to do. How many others were treated the same way?" Not as many as Dameron wanted to believe. "We can't just kill everyone. I won't let that happen. Some people can't be helped or don't want to be. I know that. But we have to try. Even just saving one person's life makes the work worth it." 

"That sort of idealism will get you killed," Hux sneered.

"It hasn't yet," Dameron said with a small, tired laugh. He sighed, then, and rubbed at his temple. "How many daughters do you have, Hux?"

"Just one," Hux answered truthfully. He was almost certain Anye was dead, even if he hadn't seen her die.

Dameron frowned hard. "How - how many  _ have  _ you had?" 

"Four," Hux said quietly. "Nieah, Fohil, Anye, and Rhyz." 

"I'm sorry." Dameron looked older in that moment - worn and exhausted and a little gray where his stubble was growing in around his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Hux." 

The worst part of it was that Hux was certain no one else had ever offered any sort of condolences. It took this man, who had once been Hux's enemy, to offer that. Hux wanted him to leave and never ever come back. But he couldn't tell him to get out - even if Dameron left, he would only come back or keep looking for him. He needed Dameron to leave permanently, even if it was just long enough for Hux to gather his and Rhyz' things and get them off the planet so he could find somewhere else to go, somewhere else to hide. 

"Tell me about the pardon," Hux said, terse and flat as he turned away from Dameron and began to shift through cabinets for something to cook for his daughter's evening meal. He knew he wouldn't be able to stomach anything, not now, not after this. 

Dameron looked upset, but not with Hux. He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against a section of the counter further away. "In the most basic terms, you'd come work for the military in some capacity. The most we know is that you were a pretty high-caliber engineer and that you are a capable leader and tactician. We don't have a lot of officers with the First Order who work directly with us now that are willing to talk about you. I think they see it as betraying you personally, even if they aren't really loyal to the First Order anymore. At least, not to what it became there at the end." 

"Who do you have?" Hux was curious. He wanted to know if anyone he was familiar with had survived. There were plenty of people he'd rather avoid, if possible, and simply knowing they were still alive would be helpful. He could apply that same logic to the very few who had been staunchly loyal to him right up to the very end - there were only a handful, but he knew they would understand why he had done what he had now that they knew everything about Palpatine and the Final Order. At least, he hoped most of them would. 

"The few who won't say a word about you?" Dameron asked, eyes sharp as he watched Hux slice into some of the local vegetation that the Columexii grew and kept for themselves. Hux didn't answer. "Dopheld Mitaka." Hux didn't stop chopping the leafy, orange plant or even glance at Dameron, but he only barely managed to repress a sigh of relief at the knowledge of Mitaka's survival. "Tritt Opan, and Nastia Unamo." Dameron was silent for only a moment. "I take it you know them?"

"I do," Hux agreed. 

"Well, I've got them all jobs," Dameron said, a thread of pride in his voice. "It was touch and go for a while, and we're still working on the whole conditioning thing, but Opan is helping some of our guys with spy work, actually, even if he isn't actually allowed to do it himself. He's basically a supervisor and trainer. Mitaka does a lot with communications, basically runs everything for us. And Nastia helps me, personally, most of the time. She pretty much runs my life. We have a few of the junior officers, too, but they're too young for us to utilize for any positions they were accustomed to. I don't know where all of them went."

That made Hux stop and look at Dameron. "They may be young, but they are not children. They earned their rank by being the best and brightest of their classes. They were not allowed to engage in active combat, but otherwise, they were treated the same as any other officer. Stynnix, for example. I don't know if she is alive, but I remember her. I'm the one who promoted her and assigned her to the  _ Supremacy _ . She was a Junior Lieutenant. She was highly intelligent and had some of the highest target accuracy scores among her class. Her specialty was data analysis." He set down the knife and moved the lump of leafy orange vegetation to a skillet. "The others are all like her." 

Fohil had been on track to become a junior officer, too. He tried not to think of her. Stynnix and her drive had reminded Hux of his own daughter. They'd been the same age. They'd even been friends - inseparable, from what he recalled. 

"This is the kind of information we need to know," Dameron said seriously. "So that's another way you can be helpful. But mostly, we were wondering if you'd come design things for us. Not weapons." 

Hux nodded idly as he grabbed another vegetable, this one round and hollow on the inside with a large seed that had to be removed. It was mildly spicy, bright blue, and he enjoyed the flavor. For all that the Columexii were vegetarians, the flavors they did have were interesting. He'd rarely been able to indulge in real, flavorful food, even as a general. 

"We didn't know what else you could do, though." Dameron trailed off expectantly. 

"Anything at all," Hux said with a shrug as he tossed the pit from the vegetable into the compost pile. "I can design weapons, yes, ships, information terminals of any shape and size, droids, medical technology -"

"Really?" Dameron asked, surprised but not doubtful. "That - Hux, that's amazing. You'd be allowed to design pretty much whatever you wanted, as long as it wasn't a weapon." He offered a sheepish smile. "I mean, we need to  _ build _ more ships, and I'm not certain about the design part, but medical tech? That's incredible." 

Hux stared down at the knife in his hand. "When the Resistance crippled the  _ Supremacy _ , Phasma was injured very badly. She survived. She was transported to another ship. She lost both legs, one arm, and an eye. I… I was working on replacements for her. Her armor was made of chromium, and I was making the prosthetics from the same material. I'd finished the designs for an eye and part of an arm." 

When Dameron touched Hux's arm, he flinched badly. Dameron was quick to grab the knife before Hux could twist it around and drive it into his belly. He pried the handle from Hux's hand and set it on the counter. 

"No hard feelings," Dameron said, just a little breathless. "Phasma is still alive. We found her. She - she's most of the reason I came looking for you. I spoke to her."

Hux couldn't feel his feet. 

"She wouldn't say much. But I asked her where she thought you might be. She said you'd be somewhere we wouldn't be able to find you easily. No major space ports, not a lot of humans, not somewhere there was a lot of news traveling, a low-tech area, probably the outer-rim. She isn't interested in working with us, and no one really blames her. But there's nowhere else we can send her, not with the way she is. She knows that, too." Dameron hesitated. "I didn't - I mean -" He stopped. Swallowed. "Is she, uh."

"Papa!" Rhyz shouted. 

Hux stepped away from Dameron. "She is my best friend. My only friend. She isn't Rhyz' mother, if that's what you're asking." He turned away and walked through the house. Toward the back, Hux had removed all the furniture and converted the room into a sort of workshop. Rhyz was sitting on the floor with the BB unit in front of her, several pieces of it littered around her. 

He knelt beside her. She held up a piece. "I don't know where it goes." She looked behind him. "Sorry." 

"Hey, that's okay," Dameron said cheerfully. He walked over and crouched on her other side. "Where did you try putting it?" She indicated several places with the piece. "Okay, so, let's try a different spot, huh? It doesn't go anywhere in this area. So, where does that leave?" 

"This part?" Rhyz looked uncertainly at the top portion of the BB unit. 

"Yep, got it in one," Dameron said with a grin. "Why don't you try again?" Rhyz tried fitting the piece into a few different places again, and Hux watched in silence. He would have suggested she try a different piece in the same area she was working in, simply because that was how he usually did things himself, but his and Dameron's teaching methods were not terribly different in execution. When Rhyz successfully managed to find the place where that piece fit, Dameron clapped for her. "Great job." 

"What does that one do?" Rhyz looked first to Hux, then at Dameron. 

Dameron looked at Hux for a moment. "I'm used to this sort of thing. Believe it or not, we used to have a few younglings running around on base, and I usually taught the new pilots, too. You can go back to cooking if you want." He grinned at Rhyz. "I can teach Rhyz how BB-8 works." 

"Please, Papa?" Rhyz turned her big, pleading amber eyes on Hux. "I wanna build a droid next." 

Hux didn't want to leave his daughter alone with Dameron. Not at all. But it wouldn't take long to finish the meal, and he would be able to hear if Rhyz called for him. Besides, with the BB unit out of commission, Dameron wasn't likely to go anywhere. Even if he could fly his X-wing without it, it was absurdly dangerous to navigate in open space when miscalculating by a single vector was the difference between life and death. 

"Very well." Hux used his cane and the edge of a table laden with parts and pieces to haul himself to his feet. "Dinner will be finished soon, and then we will make your cakes." 

"Thanks, Papa!" Rhyz turned to Dameron with her serious expression and pointed at the inside of the droid. "What's this for?" 

Dameron chuckled. "So, that part…" 

Hux left them to it and walked back to the kitchen on unsteady feet. 

Phasma was still alive. He felt breathless with relief. He wondered how she would react to what he had done. Of them all, she would be the least likely to understand. She understood loyalty best, even if she could sometimes understand betrayal. He didn't know if he would get the chance to explain himself to her. 

He wasn't sure he wanted to. 

Did he even want to accept the farce of a pardon Dameron was offering? He still didn't know what the catch was. Working for the New Republic wasn't a surprise, but being barred from designing weapons was hardly a punishment. He thought of Rhyz again. Would they threaten her? Use her against him, as his other daughters had been used against him? 

He didn't know what he might do if Rhyz was taken from him. It wouldn't be pretty, whatever it was. He would burn the galaxy for her.

Dinner practically made itself for all Hux remembered preparing and cooking it. He remembered Rhyz running into the kitchen and climbing onto her chair at the table, sitting atop a pot so she was tall enough to reach the table properly. Hux set her plate in front of her with a cup of juice. She was chattering at him about the droid that came whirling along beside Dameron as he walked into the room as well. The BB unit was chattering as well, telling Dameron that Rhyz had expressed the desire for her own droid, her own friend. Dameron had a pained expression at that, and he looked at Hux. 

"What else did you expect?" Hux asked archly. "We have only been here on Columex for a year. She plays with the Columexii children, but they are not like her. She hasn't seen another human child since before we fled from the First Order." 

Rhyz pouted. "BB, you weren't a'posed to tell them." 

"Supposed," Hux corrected. 

"Supposed," Rhyz enunciated as she rolled her eyes and flopped back dramatically. Hux narrowed his eyes at her, and she hunched forward over her plate. 

The BB unit beeped sadly. Dameron sat beside Rhyz. "He says he's sorry. He didn't know your dad could understand binary. He was only trying to tell me so I could help you get a droid for yourself." 

Hux set a plate and glass in front of Dameron and ignored the surprised thanks he got. He sat with his own glass of juice across from Rhyz and looked at Dameron. "What is the price for this pardon? What's the catch? It cannot be this simple." 

"It is," Dameron said softly. "I'm… repaying the debt I owe you. You saved our lives. You helped save the  _ galaxy _ . I can't offer you a secluded house on an uninhabited planet where no one will ever bother you again. But I can offer you a place with the New Republic and a chance to… to work with us. To restore peace. Wasn't that part of your whole schtick? Restoring peace to a galaxy full of chaos?" Dameron gave him a sardonic smile. "Well, there's a lot of chaos right now, and we need to bring some peace to more than a few areas of the galaxy. We're working on it." 

Under the table, Hux clenched his hand into a fist. "You may be so naïve, but others will not be. There will be those who wish for me to suffer for what I have done." 

Dameron looked uncomfortable. So, likely there were those who had already raised objections with Dameron's foolhardy plan. "The pardon will protect you." 

"Legally perhaps," Hux scoffed. "From someone who decides they want revenge against me for  _ Starkiller _ ? From someone who decides it would be far simpler to kill me themselves? From someone who would hurt my daughter to get to me?" 

"They wouldn't -"

"They have before," Hux said, his voice quiet but sharp. Dameron sucked in a sharp breath. "You cannot offer me the sort of protection which I require." 

Dameron pressed his lips together in a firm line. "What if I could? What if I could arrange that? I could - I could make sure of your safety, and Rhyz' safety."

"Then I still lack the guarantee that this job you are offering comes with a home and actual wages which will not be seized to pay reparations." Hux took a sip of his juice. "The New Republic may hate me for  _ Starkiller _ , but the majority of the First Order you have attempted to absorb hates me as well for turning traitor. They do not care about my motivations. Your pardon does not protect me from them, either." He lifted one hand and spread his fingers wide. "I have only a handful of allies, and even those may not truly be on my side, not now. I doubt you can fully understand what it is like to have nothing and no one, Dameron. But the safest place for me and my daughter is where no one knows who I am or what I have done." He looked at Rhyz, who was pushing most of her dinner around on her plate rather than eating it. "And you have promised my safety, but what of Rhyz'? And what of her education? I teach her what I can, but I am aware of my shortcomings." 

"Let me talk to a few people," Dameron said. He sounded determined and just a little bit desperate. "I will make this work. I swear. I won't let anything happen to you or to Rhyz." 

Hux looked at his daughter. Her cheeks were red and she had tears pooling in her eyes. She blinked up at him. "Papa." 

"What is it?" he asked gently. 

"I don't wanna go. Don't wanna get hurt, don't want you a'get hurt." She sniffed and lifted her arm to rub at her face. Hux stood and walked around the table. She lifted her arms immediately, and he picked her up and settled her on his hip, letting her cling to his neck. "Wanna stay here."

"We can't," Hux told her softly. "We must leave again." She shook her head adamantly. "Why don't we go and make your cakes for now? We must leave, but we can still have a good night." 

Hux watched the fork beside Rhyz's plate clatter around a little. Dameron's eyes went wide at the sight. Hux rubbed Rhyz's back. The fork rolled off the edge of the table, but it did not go further. "We can still have cakes?" 

"Yes," Hux assured. "We must make them first. But there are no tears in the kitchen or the workshop." She nodded and sniffled against his neck. Dameron gaped at Hux. Rhys lifted her head and wiped her cheeks and eyes with her sleeve. "Good girl." He bent and set her down. "Go find your datapad. There is a recipe on it." She nodded and wandered off in search of the datapad. 

"Hux, is she -"

"I suppose it must have come from her mother," Hux said with a sigh. "But yes. That started about a year ago. I'm grateful she never showed any signs of it while we were with the First Order. Normally I only see it when she is very emotional - excited or upset or something." 

Dameron pressed his lips into a thin line. "Rey and Ben -"

"No," Hux said in a hard voice. "I will not let  _ him _ anywhere near my daughter." He could still feel the way the Force had closed in around his throat and cut off his airways. "Don't ask again." Dameron held up both hands. "I know it won't simply go away. I'm not that ignorant about how the Force works." He glanced over to the living area and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I won't have her treated like a freak because of something she has no control over." 

Dameron said nothing at all. Hux turned away from him and walked into the kitchen. His leg hurt, and all he wanted was to sit down once more, but he had promised Rhyz cakes, and he had no idea when he would be able to make them with her again. She came running into the kitchen with her datapad, and he forced a small smile for her. 

"What are the ingredients?" Hux asked. "Let's get those, first." Rhyz read each one and found it, setting it on the counter. 

The next hour passed quickly as the sun set, and a soft rain beat at the mud roof. Dameron had asked Hux if he could make a few calls, if Hux was all right with that. Hux had agreed under the condition that Dameron not share his location with anyone. He wasn't sure Dameron hadn't already done so anyway, of course, but no one had come swarming into his little house yet. As he helped Rhyz measure out ingredients and add them in the right order and mix them correctly, he was already planning the best way to pack everything and get it loaded into their small ship. The ship was hidden a short distance away. Hux hadn't wanted to make it obvious where he lived. He would need to move the ship closer to the house so he and Rhyz could load it up, and then they could be on their way. 

Hux put the cake pans into the oven and had Rhyz set the timer. "Go and start packing your things." Rhyz frowned at him. "Please, don't argue. We don't have a choice. I will start packing things up once you go to bed." 

"Why do we have to leave again, Papa?" Rhyz asked sadly. "I like it here." 

"I know, my darling," Hux said with a sigh as he brushed his fingers through her thick red hair. "But it isn't safe for us to stay, not now that they know where we are. If someone else comes here to look for us, they will not be as friendly." 

"But Poe said he would a'tect us."

"Protect."

She huffed. "Protect." 

"He could try," Hux agreed. "But that would only be if we went to the New Republic with him." He nudged her back. "Regardless, we cannot stay here and you still must pack your things." She sighed dramatically and tromped off to her room. 

"I  _ could _ protect you guys." 

Hux turned and found Dameron in the doorway that led to the living area. His BB unit was by his side, silent. Dameron had a comm unit clutched in his hand. Hux turned away from them and went to put away the remainder of their dinner. It would serve as a quick meal for the morning. He heard Dameron's heavy tread and the BB unit rolling beside him as they followed Hux into the kitchen. 

"I spoke with my superior," Dameron said quietly. "Chancellor Julicara offered the apartment right across the hall from mine, so I'd be close by. And Rose Tico - not sure if you remember her - she'd work with you on your engineering projects. Rose has already agreed. Everyone from the First Order is overseen by a special review board set up by the New Republic Judiciary. They're the ones who formally granted your pardon, so you don't have to worry about anything you've already done influencing their decisions. They act as a buffer, mostly, so that no one we've absorbed from the First Order faces any sort of unfair treatment. You'd be the highest ranking official to join us, and you'd also be our most valuable asset. They already know how much you gave us in the past. That helped a lot when I was arguing your case."

Hux looked over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. "I never asked you to do anything of the sort."

"You didn't have to," Dameron said. "I didn't even know for sure if you were still alive. But I wanted to make sure that if you were, if I could even find you, that you'd have a place to go, that you'd know that you'd be safe once you got there." He sighed and scratched at the side of his neck. "We didn't know about Rhyz. None of us did. No one told us. If I had, I'd have made even more preparations. We can handle all of that if you come back with me. I swear, Hux, I won't let anything happen to you. Either of you. You don't have to run anymore." Dameron bit his lip and glanced at the doorway where Rhyz had run off. "Doesn't Rhyz deserve to grow up safe and happy, where she can go to school and - and have some stability? Where she won't have to point blasters at strangers because she's afraid for her life?" 

"Give me at least a little credit," Hux snapped, "she's never had to kill anyone." That was more than he could say about his own childhood. Dameron didn't look reassured. "We're managing just fine on our own." 

"For how much longer?" Dameron asked, his voice soft, almost pleading. "The New Republic isn't looking for you, but you know you have a lot of enemies. How much longer can you keep her safe? How much longer can you keep running? What happens when you run out of planets to hide on?"

"It's a big galaxy," Hux said dismissively, but probably not with as much ease as he'd wanted. 

"Not big enough." Dameron stepped closer. "Think about it, Hux. A fancy apartment in the Core Square, a job - and yeah, that includes wages - a job where you can design pretty much whatever you want, a place where Rhyz can go to school and even get some training in the Force, stability for both of you, protection for both of you. I… I don't know, help me out here. What else can I possibly say? What more do you  _ want _ ?" 

Hux wanted Rhyz to be safe and happy, but he just wasn't sure Dameron could truly offer that. But his earlier words had rattled him. He could still see Rhyz with a blaster in her hands, ready to defend them both. 

He turned and looked at Dameron. "I want your guarantee that Rhyz won't be harmed." Dameron nodded seriously. "I want some proof, some contract, that states that even if something were to happen to me, Rhyz will not be harmed or mistreated. I want to know that even if I am thrown into prison the moment we enter New Republic space that she will get to live happily. Your word isn't good enough." 

"What about Chancellor Julicara's word?" Dameron asked. "I can ask her to -"

"And what is to stop her from dismissing it the moment something happens to me?" Hux asked bitterly. 

Dameron ran his hand through his curls with a heavy sigh. "Who will you trust, then? What would be good enough? Nothing is going to happen to you, I swear on my life - I swear on BB-8!" Dameron tossed a hand in the air. "I mean, I'd offer to be her guardian in the event of something crazy happening, but you don't trust me either, so -"

Hux pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine." 

"- I don't know what good that promise could  _ possibly _ \- wait. What?" 

"I said all right," Hux said slowly, lowering his hand. "You have some sort of pathological need to repay whatever debt you believe you owe me for spying against the First Order and saving your life."

"Well… yeah," Dameron admitted. "I was the one you were communicating with the whole time." Hux hadn't actually known that. "Leia didn't trust anyone else to be able to confirm all the information you were giving us. As soon as we got the first transmission, I flew out, checked it, and then I was assigned to you. That's - that's how I knew it was you." He shrugged. "Kind of feels like I've known you for a while now. At least a part of you. Like the fact that you didn't get nearly enough sleep and you really hated Pryde. Or that tarine tea was your favorite."

Hux felt oddly seen. Those things weren't secrets by any stretch of the imagination, and yet there were only a handful of people who'd ever bothered to learn those details in the first place. Mitaka and Phasma had known. Opan had known. But for the rest, he was just one very large cog in the giant machine of efficiency which the First Order claimed to be - as it had operated before Kylo Ren had declared himself Supreme Leader. 

He pushed the feeling away. "Regardless, since you are so very dedicated to repaying me somehow, see to it my daughter is cared for properly. There is nothing else I want." Nothing Dameron could possibly give him, anyhow. 

"Let me call Chancellor Julicara," Dameron said with a nod. He sounded oddly choked. "I'll get her to find someone to draft something to make it official and sign it, and we'll both sign it, too. BB-8 can record it. Plenty of proof, and BB-8 will kick my ass if I don't hold up my end of the agreement." The BB unit voiced it's agreement loudly and enthusiastically. 

"See to it, then. Rhyz is packing her things. I will see to it that the remainder of what we will bring is packed tonight. I have a small transport ship hidden not far from here. I will retrieve it in the morning." 

Hux looked around at the kitchen area and repressed a sigh. He had grown accustomed to the space. He supposed he would grow accustomed to a new space. Thinking of an apartment in the Core Square made him think of his quarters on-board the  _ Finalizer _ . Likely the new apartment would be far smaller and not nearly as nice - simply because it was in the Core Square did not mean it would be luxurious. But… Rhyz would be safe. She would be able to go to school and be around other children. She could, perhaps, have a chance at happiness. 

Any sacrifice was worth it to ensure his daughter's safety and happiness. 


	2. Chapter 2

When they landed in Coruscant, Hux fully expected a squadron of soldiers to flood the ship and arrest him at gunpoint. He had Rhyz in his arms and held securely against his chest. He would not let anyone take her from him without some sort of fight. But it didn't happen. The bay doors opened and Dameron greeted him with a smile and a wave. Beside him were a handful of people, but there were no blasters pointed at him and Rhyz. He still didn't feel safe or relaxed, but he eased his hold just slightly so he wasn't hurting Rhyz. 

"Armitage Hux, formal General of the First Order." The woman who greeted him was very tall and elegantly dressed. "Welcome to Coruscant. I am Chancellor Julicara." She gave him a brief but polite smile. "This must be your daughter, Rhys."

Hux nodded stiffly. "Thank you for the welcome." He glanced around again. The few who had come with Dameron were by his side now and staring at Hux as if he'd grown a second head. He ignored them. 

"For now, Poe will show you to your new living quarters. The apartment is just across the hall from his. We will have droids bring your things from your ship. Tomorrow, we'll conduct an interview at the Intelligence Headquarters. It will be to best determine what you will do while you are here."

"He can design medical tech," Dameron said, stepping forward. He gave Hux a brief smile. "He knows Phasma. He was working on prosthetics for her before everything happened."

Julicara nodded. "That will certainly be taken into consideration, especially if that is what you wish to do. We will not force you into any singular position. We are aware that you possess a variety of skills about which we know little. That is the primary purpose of the interview tomorrow. We would like to know more about you." She gave Hux a thin smile. "And I'm certain you would like to know more about us, as well. The interview might possibly last more than a single day. We must also determine what is best for young Rhyz, such as which educational programs will best benefit her. You will not be on trial, but if you would like to have some sort of counsel present for your peace of mind, you may." 

"What time is this meeting?" Hux asked. 

"0900, standard time," Julicara answered. "For now, I shall leave you." She nodded once more, then turned and began to walk away. 

Hux turned to face the small group near Dameron. He recognized FN-2187, mostly because he had seen so many wanted posters of him - but also because he had been a failure of the stormtrooper program and Hux remembered all of those. He also recognized the girl, Rose Tico. The Jedi girl was with them as well. He was relieved Kylo Ren was nowhere to be seen. 

Rose Tico recovered first. She stepped forward and offered Hux an awkward smile. "Hi, I'm Rose. Not sure if you remember me."

He dipped his head in a shallow nod. "I do, yes." Absurdly, that made her grin. He swallowed down the sour bile in the back of his throat because she could smile in this situation. He hadn't been able to eat today, either, and his body was protesting. "This is my daughter, Rhyz."

"Hi, Rhyz, I'm Rose. It's nice to meet you. How old are you?" Rose smiled at her. She'd gentled her voice some, but she didn't try to treat Rhyz like an infant. 

"I'm five," Rhyz said in her high, clear voice. "Are you the one who blew up Papa's ship?"

"No, but her friends did." Rose looked at Hux with a horrified expression, but Rhyz nodded her understanding. Hux rolled his eyes. "She is _my_ child," he said with an aggravated sigh. "Do you think that means nothing? I've told her what I've done. She may not fully grasp it, but she does have some understanding of the concepts." 

Dameron stepped up beside Rose. "She took BB-8 apart and rebuilt him almost entirely on her own. She struggled with two pieces, and that was it. She's, uh, she's really smart." 

Hux could hear Finn mutter to the Jedi girl, Rey, _then what do we need Hux for?_ but he ignored the comment. Rey stepped close, too, but Finn held back, keeping his distance. Hux didn't blame him - he didn't want the former stormtrooper anywhere near him, either. 

He might have been a little too tempted to do something inadvisable. 

"Hello, Rhyz, Hux. I'm Rey." She offered them a small smile. "I can use the Force." She lifted her hand and slipped one of the tools from Rose's belt into the air, then put it back. Rhyz looked at Hux with wide eyes. He rubbed her back to soothe her. 

Dameron cleared his throat. "I uh, I asked Rey to come, Hux. I figured you might want to meet her." 

Hux didn't. He absolutely hated that his daughter and the Force had anything at all to do with one another. He had an inherent distrust of Force users, and he despised the idea of distrusting his own daughter as she learned to use the Force and grew older and more powerful. But he knew that leaving her untrained was just as unwise when a temper tantrum could rip apart an entire ship in the depths of space. 

After all, he'd seen Kylo Ren do it, and he'd been trained.

"Rhyz…" He sighed. "She can use the Force." Rey looked serious. "So far, it only happens when she is intensely emotional. Upset or excited, things of that nature. Dameron saw it happen. She tossed a fork off the table." 

"It rolled around a bit and then right off the edge," Dameron confirmed. "Never seen a kid so young do something like that." He rubbed at the side of his neck. "He doesn't want Ben anywhere near her. For good reason, I guess." Rey's expression went pained, and Dameron settled a hand on her shoulder. "That's not a hill I'm willing to die on today. Hux said the Force stuff must have come from Rhyz' mom."

Behind them, Finn looked even more sour. "Are we sure he didn't just, I don't know, _steal_ her?" He glared at Hux. "Wouldn't be unheard of, not for you." 

Hux tightened his hold on Rhyz. 

"Finn," Rose said gently, "I know you're angry, but look at her. She looks like he chewed her up and spit her out. It'd be pretty hard for him to fake that." She reached out a hand toward Finn, but he shook his head. 

"They aren't gonna take me, are they Papa?" Rhyz asked Hux in a whisper. Dameron seemed to be the only one who heard her. He looked upset at her words. 

"No, my darling," Hux murmured to her, his mouth pressed close to her ear. "I'd kill them all before I let them take you." 

After all, he had betrayed the First Order for her. He would do so much worse now that he had actually formed a bond with her. He dared any of them to hurt her. 

Something in the Jedi girl's expression shifted. "Finn, you're upsetting Rhyz. She thinks you're going to take her and hurt her." She glanced at Hux. "And I think Hux would probably hurt you if you tried." 

Finn looked ready to do just that, just for the challenge, but then he glanced at Rhyz. She was hiding in Hux's arms and peeking at him from behind her long red hair. He had intentionally left it down this morning, and he was glad he had. When he realized he was scaring a little girl, Finn turned away and stomped off in a different direction. Hux didn't relax, but he felt he could finally take a breath. His leg was aching horribly, but he didn't want to relinquish his hold on Rhyz. He just wanted to sit down, really. 

"Why don't we take this somewhere else?" Dameron suggested. 

Rey shook her head. "I'll come find you two in a few days or so, once things settle down a bit." She looked at Hux. "We can figure out a good time and place for lessons, and I can talk about what I'd teach Rhyz at first." Hux nodded his agreement. "Bye, Rhyz, it was nice to meet you. I'll see you later." 

"Bye." Rhyz didn't lift her head from Hux's shoulder. 

"I will tag along," Rose declared. "We're pretty sure they'll stick you in engineering with me." She offered Hux a smile. "And besides, I helped Poe fight for you." She looked at Dameron. "I don't get it. Did you know about Rhyz the whole time or something?" 

Dameron smiled and shook his head as he led them away from Hux's transport ship. Hux had one bag on his shoulder with his and Rhyz' most important things. Even if he never saw anything else on the transport ship, what he had would be enough to keep them both alive. He had to shift Rhyz to his side and support her with just one arm so he could use his cane to support himself. It was challenging and painful in its own way, but Rhyz was clinging to him - and he didn't really want to put her down anyway. 

"Let me take your bag," Dameron offered. Hux narrowed his eyes at him. "I swear, I won't go anywhere with it, and I won't even open it." Hux reluctantly nodded his agreement and paused for a moment. He had to shift Rhyz to his bad side and drop the bag into Dameron's waiting hand and then quickly shift her again. "I could carry Rhyz, too?" 

Hux opened his mouth to shoot that down, but Rhyz patted Hux's arm. "It's okay, Papa. BB-8 will help." She gave him her very serious look - no happy, reassuring smiles, not from her - and then slithered her way down to the floor. The droid rolled right up beside her and chirped at her. She patted its domed head twice. She then looked at Dameron. "BB says you're gonna a'tect me." 

"Protect," Hux corrected on instinct. 

"Protect," Rhyz recited carefully. 

Dameron smiled at her. "'course I will." Rose made a soft noise on Dameron's other side, but she was hiding most of her expression behind her hand. Hux ignored her. Dameron had his bag already slung over one shoulder, and he crouched in front of her. "Do you want to walk between us, or do you want me to carry you? It's really busy outside, and there are a lot of people. More than on any star destroyer." 

Rhyz lifted her arms. "Don't lose me." 

"I won't," Dameron promised as he scooped her into his arms. He settled her on one hip - on the side Hux was on - like he had done it hundreds of times before. Rose's shoulders were now shaking with suppressed laughter. "Hey, don't laugh at me Rose, that's so rude. You're a bad friend." He was grinning as he said it, though. 

Rose helplessly giggled and let her hands fall. "I can't help it! You're adorable." She looked at Rhyz. "Don't worry, I can teach you how to hurt anyone who messes with you." 

"She's got that covered," Dameron said wryly. Rose made a curious noise. 

"Papa taught me," Rhyz said. They began walking toward the hangar's exit, and Hux stuck close by Dameron's side - mostly out of sheer paranoia. "I have a blaster."

Rose gaped at Hux. "We have been running for our lives for three years. I was not going to leave her defenseless." He tapped his cane against the floor a little harder. "Had I not been shot - _kriffing twice_ \- I would have taught her more hand-to-hand. As it stands, her accuracy is at a passable level for troopers twice her age." 

"That's insane," Rose said, sounding oddly distressed. "You didn't, I don't know, just give her toys and dolls and stuff like a regular kid?" 

"I have a doll!" Rhyz volunteered. She scrambled over Dameron's shoulder like a little Asyyyriak and dug into the bag dangling over his bag. He held her easily, and kept moving as if she weren't performing acrobatics on him. She fished out the stormtrooper doll and the princess doll Hux had found for her in two very different markets on different planets. She held them out for Rose, who hesitated a moment and glanced at Hux before taking them gently. 

"Did you give them names?" Rose asked. 

"The stormtrooper is Phasma, like Papa's friend," Rhyz informed her, keeping her same serious expression. Dameron swung her around to his front again and settled her against his hip just as they pushed out into the city. Hux was hit by the wave of noise and city stink. He hadn't experienced anything like it in so very long, it was almost a shock. Rhyz went silent for a moment, staring at everything, then she hunkered closer to Dameron's chest. "The princess is named Nieah. Papa said that was my oldest sister." 

Rose sucked in a sharp breath. Dameron just nodded once, sharp and curt. "Look," there's a speeder. Rose, can you grab it?" Rose nodded and gave Rhyz her dolls before jogging into the crowd towards a speeder they could use to get to the Core Square. Dameron looked at Hux. "Sorry." 

"I assumed you'd informed them already," Hux said with no inflection. "It doesn't matter. Your Justiciary will find out soon enough, and Rhyz knows. I will not tell her to keep her sisters a secret. I could not save them. The only thing I can do for them now is remember them." He limped heavily for the next few steps. "I did not know them, not truly. They were kept from me and used against me to ensure my compliance." 

"Papa says we should remember them," Rhyz said, tucking her dolls close and looking up at Dameron, "because no one else will. Because…" She trailed off and looked at Hux. "Why else, Papa?" 

"Because they died too young to make a name for themselves, so we must make a name for them." 

Dameron sighed softly. "If we hadn't already taken down the First Order, I'd happily jump in an X-wing and get back out there and do it all again." He had a hard look on his face, one Hux was intimately familiar with, in sentiment if not on this particular face. He looked at Hux. "We have a memorial near where the old Imperial Palace used to stand. I'll see about getting their names added to it." 

"They didn't die for your Resistance," Hux said quietly. 

"But they still had a part to play," Dameron said softly. Hux hadn't realized they'd stopped, that they were so close together only Rhyz kept them apart. Dameron was only a few inches shorter than he was, but he was stockier, and he seemed larger than life in that moment. "Sometimes, even the smallest people can play the biggest role." He lifted Rhyz significantly. She looked between them, but Hux could see that she didn't quite grasp what Dameron meant. 

"Well?" Rose asked, breaking the moment. "If you're going to kiss, go ahead, but don't keep me waiting." She tapped the chrono on her wrist. Hux sneered at her, but all she did was laugh. Dameron huffed and shook his head, but he climbed up into the speeder and settled Rhyz onto the seat in the back. He turned, then, and offered Hux a hand to assist him. Hux didn't want to take it. He could have gotten in on his own, but it would take longer and be more difficult, and he would risk falling. 

He took Dameron's hand. 

A moment later, he was seated in the back with Rhyz and Dameron was up front cheerfully bickering with Rose as he flew the speeder toward the Core Square. Rhyz kept her dolls clutched to her chest, and she tucked herself right up against Hux's side. 

"Are we really going to live here? It's busy. And loud." She made a face. 

Hux rubbed her shoulder. "Yes, we are." Apparently. "You will adjust quickly. There will be a school you can attend, as well." She looked up at him with her big hazel eyes, and Hux once again wondered about her mother. He only vaguely remembered her. They'd only ever spent the one night together, and he'd had perhaps two conversations with her. Was she still alive somehow? He very much doubted it. "There will be many things for you to learn, and more children your age." 

"Will they let me build things?" Rhyz asked.

"I don't know," Hux told her honestly. "You may always build things at home with me." He could tell Rhyz didn't quite find that answer satisfactory, but she didn't whine. "Are you hungry?" It had been hours and hours since she'd last eaten. She nodded. "I'm certain we can find something soon." 

It didn't take much longer for them to arrive at one of the numerous apartment buildings in the Core Square. Dameron landed the speeder with hardly a bump, then helped Hux down before climbing in and picking up Rhyz and carrying her inside. Rose stayed with them the whole way. Hux was only a little annoyed with her for her persistence. 

"Poe! Who's that adorable little girl?" A woman who appeared to work in the building waved to them from behind a vast receptionist's desk. "Someone finally come and saddle you with one of your long-lost bastards?" She laughed at her own joke. 

"Not quite," Dameron called. "See you later, Tala." He didn't slow down as he headed for one of the lifts. Hux found himself grateful. "So, we're on the 103rd floor." The lift rose automatically, likely sensing some sort of code cylinder, Hux assumed. "I'm 43, you're 42. Two bedrooms, decent kitchen, fully furnished, the works." 

Rose nodded her agreement. "I'm down on 57," she said. "Just a one bedroom for me and Finn. But I'm close if you ever need anything. Just don't ask for food. I can't cook worth a damn, and Finn… he's trying, but man, he's really bad at it." She winced. 

"I'm gonna tell him you said that," Dameron said with a laugh. 

"Hey, you _saw_ those cookies he tried to make. They were like bricks! I threatened to reverse engineer them and use them as building materials." Rose made a face. 

"Papa's cooking is good," Rhyz offered. "We made cakes last night. They have butter and sugar and flour and eggs. And cocoa!"

"They do," Hux confirmed for her. Rose gaped at him. "I am not an imbecile who cannot follow a simple recipe. Cooking is very much like chemistry." 

"His food was pretty good," Dameron agreed with a shrug. 

Rose had a mischievous grin on her face as the lift came to a stop. "Dinner dates already, huh?" She elbowed Dameron gently. 

Dameron shook his head. "To be fair, he tried to stab me first." 

Rose blinked. "Okay, so that sounds more like it." Then she looked at Hux. "Really?" 

"It wasn't personal," Hux replied dryly. He looked at her. "I was chopping vegetables at the time, and he touched me right before telling me Phasma is alive." Rose glanced at Rhyz, then looked at Hux. He rolled his eyes. "Dameron made the same assumption. No, Phasma is not her mother." Rose held up both hands defensively. "She was, perhaps, the only real friend I've ever had. She was unspeakably valuable to me." 

"Was?" Dameron asked quietly. He stopped them at a door with a small, golden 42 on it and held up a code cylinder. The door unlocked, and then he held it out to Hux. He took it and slipped it into his pocket. Dameron pushed open the door and Rose headed inside first. She whistled lowly as she moved around and began turning on lights.

"Wow, Poe, I think Hux got a nicer place than you did." She grinned over at them as Hux shut the door behind himself. It was certainly elegant. He hadn't expected that. It was also larger than his quarters on the _Finalizer_ had been. The walls were done in dark paneling on the lower half, and on the top painted in a very light blue. The furniture was all soft gray. The floors were mostly the same dark wood as the paneling, though he could see carpet in one of the two bedrooms.

Dameron put Rhyz down. "Go explore, check it out. We'll get the rest of your stuff up here in a bit. Takes a bit longer for cargo." He held up the bag and looked at Hux. "Any place in particular you want this?" Hux took it from him and set it down in the kitchen on the counter that separated it from the living area. There was a small dining table for four people just on the other side of it. The kitchen itself was, as Dameron had said, decent. It wasn't as large as the one on Columex, but the appliances were nice - not new - and looked well-maintained. 

Rhyz immediately opened some cabinets and the cooling unit. "There's no food, Papa." She frowned up at him. 

"We'll order in," Rose said, grinning at her. She pulled a small tablet from one of the deep pockets on her coveralls, which were tied by the arms at her waist to show off a tee-shirt with a cartoonish Resistance logo. She tapped on it a few times, then gave it to her. "Pick anything you want to eat. My treat." 

Rhyz took the tablet and sat down on the floor there in the middle of the kitchen. Hux rolled his eyes at her and moved out to the living area to sit on one of two identical armchairs which sat opposite the sofa. "Might as well sit," he said, waving at the other furniture. "Rhyz can read, but she's not very fast at it yet. Besides, she's never had so many options." 

"Well, living out in the middle of nowhere," Dameron said - it was a remarkably gentle tease. Hux remained silent. "So. You'll have to head over to the Justicary tomorrow, which won't really be fun, but it won't be too bad. It's not an interrogation, I swear. Do you want to see anything or anyone tonight? Want us to find you an attorney or anything for the thing tomorrow?" 

Rose flopped on the couch, and Dameron sat in the other chair. Hux found that interesting, but he couldn't have said why. "Dopheld's talked about you a few times," Rose said. "Only to me, I think, and he never said much, but I'm pretty sure he'd like to see you. He's here. Well, not _here_. He's in a different building. I've had to work pretty closely with him a few times when there have been major failures across the communications platforms." She rolled her eyes. "I keep telling them to upgrade. It's not Dopheld's fault he's thirty times more efficient than the last team of ten guys they had running everything."

Hux allowed himself a very small smile. "He certainly is that." Rose grinned and nodded. "Perhaps another day."

"What about Phasma?" Dameron asked, looking at Hux with some kind of unreadable expression. "I can take you to go see her. You probably won't be able to get in on your own. We had to put guards on the door." 

"No." He didn't offer them an explanation, though clearly they wanted one. "My immediate concern is whether or not Rhyz can come with me tomorrow." 

Rose winced. "I mean, it's definitely not an interrogation. I've sat through enough of those things. But there might be some unpleasant questions. I know you said you don't hide anything from her, but you probably censor stuff, right? Keep it age-appropriate?" Hux nodded. "The Justiciary is going to want to talk about things that are probably not things she needs to hear." She looked at Rhyz where she was still sitting on the floor, her tongue poking out as she slowly made her way through whatever list Rose had given her. The droid was beside her, apparently standing guard. 

"Look, Finn is leaving in the morning. He's heading to Ossus with Rey. There's an old Jedi temple out there. They want to see if they can do anything with it. He won't be back for about three standard cycles, maybe longer. I can watch Rhyz for you. We can head to the place where you and I will work - I call it the workshop. Poe said she took apart BB-8 and put him back together, right? We can play with some stuff. No one else ever really comes in there, which is a big part of the reason they decided to stick you with me. It's a pretty big place, but it's mostly private. No one will bother us. If you're worried, I can get Lusica to come hang out, too. She's great, and she's really, really good with a blaster. Plus, she used to be First Order." 

"I don't trust the First Order," Hux said flatly. "Why the stars do you think I betrayed them?" 

"Lusica Stynnix," Dameron said. "You mentioned her last night. You said you remembered her." 

Hux looked away from him and glanced at Rhyz. "She and Fohil were… comrades. Same age, same class." Rose sent a curious look to Dameron, but Dameron wasn't paying any attention. He looked directly at Dameron. "She will most likely be able to guess who Rhyz is." 

"Is that a bad thing?" Dameron asked seriously. Hux hesitated. He remembered the way Lusica had looked during the small, too-short memorial service held for Fohil. She had been utterly distraught. Hux shook his head. "You think you can trust her to protect Rhyz?" 

"Probably," Hux said. "Odds are… high." He squeezed his fingers together. "I'd like to speak to her before I leave Rhyz in her care." 

"I'll be there too," Rose said, a mostly-gentle reminder. "But we can do that. It'll just be an early start." 

Hux nodded his acceptance. "I hope I'm not required in uniform." He shrugged at Dameron's raised eyebrow. "I burned it." 

Dameron snickered like a schoolboy. "Childish. I like it. It's fine, though. I don't really think they'll have too many expectations." He sat back at last, relaxing a little. "I'll go with you to the thing, if you want. I just have to let Nastia know so she doesn't try to make me do other things." He smiled. 

"Hey, maybe she -"

Rose was cut off by the sound of a comm chiming with an incoming connection. Dameron rolled his eyes and dug his hand into his pocket. He smirked and flicked on the holoprojector. "Your ears must be burning, Nastia. We were just talking about you. I have a thing tomorrow, and it's super important. Can't miss it."

"As long as it doesn't involve another Drexl, sir," Nastia said, her tone utterly flat. Rose cackled. "The Chancellor would like me to remind you that you have a meeting with Admiral Hallun in two days near Takodana. There's a Senate meeting the day after you return, which you'll also need to attend. Ideally, you would have gone to speak with Senator L'Tanirry tomorrow to hear his proposal regarding the repurposing of the _Fellfire_. Instead, you'll have to read the packet. I'll have a datachip with all relevant information for you tomorrow evening once General Hux's meeting with the Justiciary has completed." 

Hux went very still. He didn't see Rhyz coming into the living area until Dameron startled because she was climbing into his lap. "I want this one, please," she said, pointing to something on the screen. "And this one, too, but only if that's all right." 

"Sure thing," Dameron said with a smile. "Did you pick a dessert?" Rhyz looked up at him and shook her head. He swiped around on the datapad very quickly, then Rhyz began to study it once more. "Take a look at those and see if you like anything, okay?" Rhyz nodded. 

Rose stood and walked over to Dameron's chair and waved to Nastia. "How'd you find out about the thing with Hux? We kept that need-to-know." 

"The Chancellor informed me," Nastia said simply. "I was told not to tell anyone else, and I have not done so, but General Dameron does not typically accept my calls in company. I apologize." 

Dameron sighed. "Well, you do literally run my life. I'd be lost without you, Nastia." 

Nastia nodded, her expression very serious - much like Rhyz' tended to be. "Yes, I know." 

That made both Rose and Dameron laugh. "Wow, you don't pull any punches do you?" Rose asked. "Well, we have to get this little porg fed." She stroked Rhyz' hair gently. "We'll see you tomorrow evening, yeah?" 

"You'll both be in your workshop, Ms. Tico?" Rose nodded. "Very well. I shall find you there." Nastia ended her end of the connection, and Dameron lowered the comm with a sigh. Rose patted his shoulder. "Julicara runs you almost as hard as Leia did."

"Give me my X-wing and some TIEs to blow up over politics any day." He glanced at Hux. "No offense, I guess?" 

"None taken," Hux said dryly. "Rhyz, have you made your choices? I'm sure the others would like to choose as well." 

She looked up from the datapad. "There are so many cakes, Papa. I've counted twenty-seven already. They're all different. I don't know which to pick." 

"Well, how about this," Dameron said with a smile. He tapped at the datapad, and Rhyz' eyes went wide. "See, we get six little ones this way, and you can try some of all of them. Sound good?" She nodded, mute. "Great!" He slipped the datapad from her, skimmed through it with much greater speed, tapped at it a few more times, then passed it to Rose. 

"Are you vegetarian, Rhyz?" Rose asked, glancing down at her as she tapped through the datapad. 

Rhyz nodded. "I don't want to eat animals." 

"Okay," Rose said with an easy shrug. "Will you be upset if I do?" Rhyz shook her head, and Rose smiled at her. 

"We lived on Columex the longest," Hux said as he accepted the datapad from her. "I'm not certain she could tolerate meat even if she wanted it." He wisely chose a vegetarian dish for himself as well, though he wasn't sure he could eat any of it. More than likely, he'd give it to Rhyz in the morning. 

"There's just about anything and everything here," Dameron said. "We'll make sure we have some food delivered tomorrow while we're at the Justiciary thing." Hux gave the datapad back to Rose. "You two can head over to mine for breakfast. I can make pancakes, but that's about the extent of my cooking abilities." 

"Adorable," Rose teased. Dameron just sighed. "I'm never going to let it go and you know it. Just accept it now." 

"The worst friend ever," Dameron said, so passive and mild Hux couldn't for a moment take it seriously. "I don't know how Finn tolerates you." 

Rose waggled her eyebrows but said nothing. "The food should be here in about half an hour. I'm going to run to mine for drinks. I'll be back in a bit." She hopped up with a wave and a smile and headed for the door. 

Once it closed behind her, Dameron sighed softly. "I can ask her to knock that off if it bothers you." 

"It hardly matters. I'm not the one with any sort of reputation worth worrying about." Admittedly, that was something of a relief. He didn't give a damn what these people thought of him, not really. He knew they all hated him, no matter what they might say to his face. 

Dameron frowned at him. "It doesn't bother me, either. Like I said before, you're pretty much a hero to anyone who knows what you've done for the Resistance. Most of us do. A lot of people are still conflicted because of _Starkiller_. I can't blame them for that. But Rose's jokes are just that - jokes. She doesn't mean any harm by them." 

"The problem with jokes is that if the wrong people hear them, they will believe it is the truth, and that will follow you," Hux said. He knew from experience. 

"I don't care," Dameron said, oddly serious. He patted Rhyz' shoulder and she squirmed her way down to the floor. "Why don't you take BB-8 and go check out your new room? I really need to talk to your papa for a bit." 

Rhyz looked at Dameron for a moment with those damned big eyes. "Are you going to hurt him?" 

"No," Dameron swore. "Not ever." She nodded and then dashed off, BB-8 at her heels. Hux merely looked at him and waited for him to speak. It seemed to take Dameron a moment to find the words. "Do you know the story of Galen Erso?"

"He was an Imperial scientist. He was the lead engineer who designed the Death Star." 

Dameron nodded. "He's also the reason the Rebellion was able to destroy it." Hux narrowed his eyes. "I'm not surprised you don't know. It wouldn't have made the Empire look very good. They probably would have covered it up. I grew up listening to stories like that, though. Both my parents fought for the Rebellion. The story goes, Galen Erso realized that what he was building was horrible and didn't want any part of it, so he left. He ran. They found him, though, and they killed his wife. His little girl, Jyn, escaped. He was taken back to the Empire and forced to work on the Death Star. Skip ahead about fifteen years. Jyn was raised by Saw Gerrera, a Rebel extremist. He was kinda nuts, but that's not really the point. Point is, Galen convinced an Imperial pilot to defect with a message from him. The pilot went to Saw with the message. The Rebellion found out about the message, knew they needed a way in, and got ahold of Jyn. She saw the message. 

"In the message, Galen told her he'd planted a flaw in the Death Star. The Rebellion just needed the plans from Scarif to figure out how to blow the reactor core to destroy it. Of course, the Alliance at the time didn't believe her, so she and a bunch of other Rebels left to go get the plans. It was a suicide mission. Literally. They all died. But they got the plans. They got the plans for the Death Star, and the Rebellion was able to destroy it." 

Hux clenched his hands into fists. "I fail to see the connection -"

"You remind me of him," Dameron said. "Of Galen Erso. You spied on the First Order, betrayed them, helped the Resistance destroy them, all for the sake of your daughter - _just like_ Galen did to the Empire."

Hux couldn't speak. He didn't have any words. He felt - angry and bitter and jealous and unutterably sad. How could Dameron still see anything good in him?

"Except I did not destroy my _Starkiller_ ," he said eventually, his tongue feeling thick and heavy in his mouth, his throat tight. "I fired it proudly and crippled the New Republic." 

Dameron nodded, "But how much of that was you, and how much of that was Snoke in your head? How much of that was someone else holding your kids hostage?" 

Hux stood and walked several steps away from him. He whirled around. "How _dare_ you," he hissed, conscious enough to keep his voice down. "You don't know anything about it!"

"I know Ben told me that Snoke was really just a puppet for Palpatine, that he was always in his head, that he was always pitting the two of you against one another. I know that you've said your daughters have been used against you before. I know that story about Galen Erso, so I know it's not unheard of for the Empire - because, let's face it, that's what the _Final Order_ really was - I know the Empire would absolutely use your daughters against you to make you do things. And I also know," Dameron said as he stood slowly, "that I've been working with the other First Order defectors for three kriffing years trying to help un-brainwash them, and I don't believe for one second that you don't have the same shit in your head that they did, that most of them still do. We redirected the focus a bit, but it's not gone. It probably won't ever be gone. So I don't know what it was like for you, Hux, but I know a lot of other stuff." He took a step closer. "Every time you fucked up, they probably killed one of your daughters, didn't they? Four kids, just one left alive? Three fuck ups. One of them was definitely _Starkiller_. I'm not an idiot."

Hux flinched badly. He wanted to look away. He wanted to run. 

"I wouldn't be mad if you blamed us for our part in _Starkiller_ ," Dameron said quietly. Somehow, he'd gotten closer, and Hux hadn't noticed when. He was only two steps away. Within reaching distance. Hux could hit him with his cane if he wanted. "But you did the right thing. You should know that. Someone needs to tell you that. Snoke, Palpatine, whoever it really was - that's the one who was really responsible for all of it. And the other Imperials. I don't know who all was there. Most of them are dead now. They're the ones to blame for what happened to your daughters." His hand was around Hux's wrist, now, and he was so close Hux could smell whatever aftershave he used. It smelled woody and dark. 

Hux felt like he almost couldn't breathe. He was putting far too much of his weight on his cane, relying on it too much to hold him upright. He knew better. "I made my choices," he said, his voice stiff and flat with a tone he didn't recognize from himself. "I could have refused. I could have acted sooner. The plain and ugly truth is that _I let them die_ and it is my own fault." Dameron shook his head. "Like I told Rhyz, it doesn't matter that I did a few good things, those do not make the truly horrific things I've done simply disappear. I was perfectly aware of what I was doing, and I made my choices. I fired _Starkiller_ of my own volition. You wish to make me a martyr, but the truth is, you can't. I am a monster, and I stood by and watched as they murdered my children for my failures." 

Dameron shook his head. "No. That's - that's where they've fucked you up, Hux. Mother of moons." Hux found himself wrapped in Dameron's arms quite suddenly, and though he tried to pull away from the unexpected - and unwanted - embrace, he couldn't quite get the leverage he needed. He was grateful it did not last long, but he did not look at Dameron when he pulled away, despite Dameron's grip on his shoulders. "Who was it that insisted you had a kid in the first place?"

Hux smiled grimly. "My father."

Dameron swore. "And he took her?" 

"Most likely he had a large part in it," Hux said with a nod. "I was only an Ensign at the time. When the girl gave birth successfully, I was promoted. I was not permitted to visit the infant. I knew it was a girl because I'd been congratulated. I never saw her mother again, and Nieah was placed in training as soon as she was old enough. She was part of the first generation." 

"Who kept you from her?" Dameron asked, his tone cold and serious. 

"I don't know. My father, perhaps. I was a Lieutenant at the time, and I was kept busy." He and Phasma had just met, he recalled. They hadn't yet begun plotting to kill his father. That had come later. "Fohil was born next. Nieah didn't die until after a skirmish with one of the cartels. We won, but I was told we lost too many ships, incurred too many damages - too much loss." 

"By who?" Dameron asked - insisted. 

"Grand Admiral Brooks," Hux answered. He finally looked at Dameron again. "Nieah was called from training, placed in a room, and I was forced to watch as a trooper executed her." Dameron shut his eyes. "It was after her execution that Phasma and I began plotting my father's death. We succeeded, but someone must have figured it out. I'd already begun working on the plans for _Starkiller_ by then. I'd given my report, but they weren't pleased. I had half the time to complete it, and Fohil and Anye were threatened." 

"Who was it that time? Specifically, who threatened them?"

"Snoke," Hux answered flatly. "But Brooks and Pryde kept them close to them, always, and I was sent away. Fohil was killed as punishment for the destruction for _Starkiller_." 

"By who?" Dameron asked. 

"You won't like it," Hux warned. 

Dameron shook his head. "I don't like any of this. I'm not asking because I want to know. I'm asking because I want you to understand who was controlling you. You see it, right? Snoke, your father, Brooks, Pryde, all these people. They're dead - we know most of them are. But they are the ones who are responsible. They're the monsters, Hux. When they killed Nieah, you _got revenge_ . You didn't just let it happen. And they were threatening two of your girls so yeah, you had to build _Starkiller_. If you hadn't fired it, someone else would have. But you turned on them. You refused to let them get away with it. You see that, right?" 

"I stood by and watched," Hux whispered. 

"Sometimes, we don't have a choice," Dameron said quietly. "And I don't buy that they didn't have to restrain you. Even if you didn't get to spend a single second with any of them, they were still your daughters."

"Phasma herself was ordered to restrain me the first time," Hux told him flatly. Dameron grimaced. "It is what convinced her to help me kill my father, so I can't bring myself to regret it." He looked away. "I have no idea if Anye is alive or dead. Probably dead." 

"We can try to find her."

Hux flinched badly. Rose was standing by the door. She looked like she'd been crying, her eyes red and a little swollen. There were two bags by her feet. Dameron rubbed one hand down Hux's arm, and Hux immediately stepped away from him. 

"I'm sorry," Rose said immediately. "But we can try to find her. We have all the manifests and personnel records from the First Order ships. Lusica -"

"Not now," Hux said, feeling extremely tired. "It won't make any difference tonight, and Rhyz is my immediate priority." 

"That's okay," Dameron said gently. "Rose, is that the food?" 

"Yeah, I grabbed it right before I came inside. I've got drinks, too. Water and juice and even some beer." She picked up the bags and headed toward the kitchen. "Where's Rhyz?"

"I'll get her," Dameron volunteered. "She's in her room with BB." He looked at Hux. "Go sit down, get something to eat. We'll figure out a good plan for tomorrow, and then Rose and I will get out of your hair."


	3. Chapter 3

The morning hours came too soon and too early. Hux still felt tired as he forced himself to rise. He longed for caf and wondered desperately if Dameron had any. He'd have to ensure that was part of his delivery of food - that and tarine tea. He hadn't had the luxury on Columex, and he missed it. His own morning routine was done with military precision and speed. That had never changed, and it had only ever been a benefit during the time he and Rhyz had truly been running for their lives. 

Rhyz was far more difficult. She whined and complained as he gave her a bath, sobbed as he brushed and braided her hair - a skill taught to him by a humanoid with seven fingers on Akiva during the short few days they'd hidden there - and tried to refuse when he brushed her teeth. It was an uphill battle to get her dressed, as well, but eventually, they were both clothed and prepared for the day ahead. Rhyz had tossed a few things about and had broken the mirror with the Force alone, but Hux wasn't fussed. She could have done far worse. He was sure there was a way to have the mirror repaired. 

He held her hand and led her across the hall even as she sniffled and whined under her breath. She had the stormtrooper doll clutched under her arm, but Hux had the same bag from yesterday - lighter, now, without some of their things in it - over his shoulder, and it contained her datapad. He hated the very idea of leaving her alone today, but he didn't see where he had much say in the matter. He knocked briskly on Dameron's door, and after a few moments, the man himself answered it. 

"Morning," Dameron said, lifting a mug of what looked - and smelled - like caf in greeting. He swung open the door and stepped back for them to enter. "Looks like it's been a rough morning. Want some caf? Rhyz, want some juice? Pancakes will be ready in just a bit." Dameron was already headed for his kitchen. Rather than the flight suit he'd worn the day before, he was in what looked like slacks of some sort and a thin, white undershirt. He wore no shoes. 

BB-8 rolled over to Rhyz and beeped cautiously at her in low tones. "He wants to know if you are all right," Hux told her. Rhyz nodded at the droid and let go of Hux's hand to pat his head gently. 

"Morning meltdown?" Dameron asked as he sat a mug on the counter and indicated a small tray with containers of several varieties of additives for the caf. Hux ignored them all and took a few quick sips. It wasn't the crystalized instant crap he'd practically lived on for so many years. It was the real thing, ground from roasted beans. 

"Yes," he said eventually. "She had trouble sleeping." 

Dameron winced. "All the cake, huh?" Hux nodded - Rhyz usually didn't eat anything with quite so much sugar so late in the evening, but she'd sampled all six cakes of the small cakes and had eaten one of them all to herself. "I'll give Rose a heads up. We all got pretty good with taking care of the younglings around the bases. Never knew when anyone was going to be gone, so we all helped whenever and however we could. She'll keep Rhyz busy." 

"Rhyz has her doll, and I will leave her datapad with her, as well," Hux said with a nod. He shifted so that he was mostly propped against one of the stools against the counter without making it look too much like he had invited himself to sit. Dameron was already pouring out batter for the pancakes. "I have not left her alone for more than a few hours at the time since we fled from the First Order, and even then, it was only with someone I knew fairly well." 

Dameron nodded. "We'll grab a comm from the workshop. I'm sure Rose has a spare or three in there. She can keep you updated all day." He glanced across the living area, then looked at Hux. "So, uh. What's up with you not wanting to go see Phasma?" 

Hux took another long drink from the mug in his hand as he contemplated the best way to answer. "I would rather face Phasma once I have the prosthetics I once promised her. I'm not sure how she feels about my betrayal. I would rather… show her it was not personal." 

"She's gotta know that," Dameron said, frowning. "I mean, she helped you… with the other thing." Hux nodded, understanding his meaning. "After everything with Palpatine, she has to know you figured it all out and left because it was the only way to save Rhyz. Right?"

"I don't know." Hux shrugged. "Phasma understands loyalty - and she understands betrayal for specific reasons under specific circumstances. I have no idea if my actions conform to her ideals. I never got the chance to speak with her about it. It's easier to… wait." 

Dameron sighed as he flipped the pancakes. "I can't see why she wouldn't understand, but okay. Like I said back on Columex, you'll pretty much have free reign to design what you want. You can work on the prosthetics first if you want. I know we could use that sort of thing. There's a lot of people from the Resistance that would benefit, too."

"What I currently have was designed solely for Phasma. They are prototypes far beyond anything currently available. I would have to custom design each piece based on the individual who needs it. I'm not certain anyone else would want or trust anything of my design." 

"We'll put some feelers out, see how it goes. I know a few who are pretty desperate." He gave Hux a reassuring smile. "If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. There's plenty of other things you can do, you said so yourself. Hell, if nothing else, I know half the Admirals and Generals are practically foaming at the mouth to have a conversation with you to figure out just how you managed to train so many troopers. We don't do the whole brainwashing thing, but technique? We could adopt some of that. And one thing everyone agrees on - even those who hate your guts - is that you were a damn good leader." He slid some pancakes onto a plate. "I know there's only so much you can really teach as far as that goes, but it's better than expecting blind loyalty."

"Most of it was, as you said, indoctrination." Hux gave up and sat properly on the stool. 

"Nah, not the few we have who are still loyal to you after all this time," Dameron said with a smile. "Nastia, for example." He laughed softly. "She still calls you 'General Hux' to this day. You heard her last night. So does Dopheld. Opan doesn't, but I get the feeling that he does it because he just knows how to blend better." 

"Opan was my personal assassin," Hux told him bluntly. That made Dameron pause for a moment. "Our arrangement was mutually beneficial, in that he did not expose me, and I did not expose him. I'm not certain he ever truly liked me, but he and I understood one another." Hux tugged at his gloves for a moment, not quite able to stop fidgeting. "I was able to make his son disappear. I staged his death and relocated him to a First Order occupied colony, changed his name, and entrusted him to a couple who owed me a rather large favor." Dameron stared at him in silence. "I've no idea what's happened to the boy now. He'd be about ten or eleven, I expect."

Dameron busied himself with the pancakes for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Pretty sure you remember all the details, yeah?" Hux nodded once. "Okay, so we'll get Lusica on that, too."

"If you wish to save every child of the First Order, you will keep Lusica busy for the next ten years," Hux said blandly. Dameron sat the spatula down on the counter with a hard thud. "We did not have the resources to begin by stealing children, as… what was it, Finn? put it. They bought slave children in the beginning, or recruited those who were bitter and angry with the New Republic for not protecting them from the cartels and other assorted drivel in the Outer Ring territories. But the other  _ half  _ of those were children born from First Order officers. It was a major campaign. The First Order needed children, needed them very young to begin training as early as possible, and the easiest way to do that was to begin from within. They were born into the idealism. Rewards were promised and delivered. I was promoted to Lieutenant, then to Commander, then once more to Captain, all because I had successfully impregnated women I did not know. Girls were very highly prized because they could then continue to give birth to more soldiers." 

Dameron looked away. He seemed as if he had to force himself to pick up the spatula. His movements were rough and jerky. "How old would your other daughters be right now if they were still alive?" 

"Twenty-one, eighteen, and sixteen," Hux answered. 

"But Rhyz is only five," Dameron said quietly. 

"She was… a punishment, more than anything else." He drank the last of the caf in his mug. "They needed more influence over me.  _ Starkiller  _ was nearing completion at the time. I had no intention of ever firing it. I suppose Snoke must have seen it. When I was told I should have another child for the good of the First Order, I declined. I was already a General. They could offer me nothing. I had already lost two children. I… was not given a choice." 

Dameron slid one hand down his face. "Fuck," he murmured. He shook his head. "Okay, I'm - I can't handle any more First Order talk right now. I'm going to have to hear it all day, and I…" He clenched his jaw and Hux watched the muscle jump wildly. "I can't. Yep. No more until the meeting with the Justiciary." 

"You asked," Hux reminded him bluntly. Dameron shot him a dirty look. "My point stands - it is pointless to try to save them all."

"We'll talk to the Justiciary about it," Dameron said flatly. He aggressively flipped the pancakes, and one splattered batter over the counter. He didn't seem to care. "They can decide whether or not it's pointless." Hux merely shrugged. 

Several minutes later, Hux helped Rhyz climb up on a bar stool so she could eat her pancakes. He cut them into small pieces for her, and Dameron refilled his mug with caf. Hux knew it had to be considered a luxury item, so he was surprised Dameron gave it away so freely. He ate only one of his own pancakes and didn't quite finish that one. Dameron shot him worried looks from where he stood on the other side of the counter, but he never actually said anything about it, which saved Hux from having to find some explanation. 

After finishing his own food, Dameron headed further into the apartment to finish getting dressed. Hux cleaned Rhyz' hands and face before helping her down from the stool and finished his caf as he watched her play on her datapad. She had elected to sit on the floor beside the droid. She'd always formed attachments easily, and it had always been terrible when he'd been forced to sever them when they'd had to flee again and again. A very small part of him feared it would happen once again, and he was already trying to work out a way to simply take the droid with them and strip it of any tracking technology or way to signal Dameron or anyone else. It would be worth the headache to keep Rhyz happy. 

Dameron appeared a few minutes later in something that looked almost like a First Order uniform. It wasn't the right color, and the bars weren't quite right, nor was it the same regimented fit, but he carried himself well in it. He caught Hux looking and, to Hux's surprise, grimaced. 

"Nastia called this morning, said if I was going to show up in any sort of official capacity, I had to wear the uniform. I  _ hate  _ the uniform." He tugged at his sleeves.

"It isn't tailored properly," Hux said. "It will never feel right if you don't have it adjusted." Dameron's eyebrows went up. "I have lived most of my life in uniform. I should know." 

"Fair point," he said weakly. "I'll, uh, I'll ask Nastia to help me get that sorted when I get back from the thing I have to do." He waved an errant hand. "Hallun won't expect me to show up in anything other than my flight suit, at least." 

Hux stood and gathered Rhyz close. He took her datapad and tucked it away in the bag. "Admiral Hallun will not respect you as a General if you do not comport yourself as such. The uniform is part of that. Image is incredibly important. Stormtroopers were as feared as they were because of their uniform appearance. People saw them coming and  _ knew  _ the might of the First Order stood behind them. They were reminded of the Empire and the terror they once endured. It is largely psychological, but even simply wearing a uniform changes your own bearing. It improves posture and speech patterns, and it makes one far more imposing. It demands a certain level of respect. By all means, if you do not wish to be respected, parade around in your flight suit, but if you expect anyone to truly listen to you, to obey your orders, then wear a well-tailored uniform, and make  _ demands _ , not requests." 

Dameron swallowed hard. "And that's why you'd give great lessons," he said weakly. He opened the door for them and let them exit first. BB-8 remained by Rhyz' side, but Dameron picked her up once he'd closed the door and had joined them in the hall. "I guess that means I'll have to shower and change before I meet up with Hallun, then?" 

"You'll pilot your X-wing to Takodana, I presume?" Hux asked, rolling his eyes. 

"Well, yeah," Dameron said with a shrug. "I love flying, and I don't get to do it as much anymore. Besides, I don't trust anyone else to do it." He had some sort of expression on his face that made Hux decide it was best not to question that statement. "And anyway, getting a whole transport ship and crew just to fly out to meet with Admiral Hallun for a half a cycle and then fly back is a waste of resources." 

Hux nodded. "I concede to that point." He didn't, not truly, but he would this time. "But if you are asking my opinion, then yes, I strongly suggest you make yourself presentable before your meeting with Admiral Hallun." 

Dameron sighed but said nothing. They headed down to the lobby area and then to the street. He managed to grab a speeder for them just as it was vacated by someone else. Moments later, they were headed across Coruscant toward the Federal District. On the very edge of the district, there were several very large warehouses. That was where Dameron sat down the speeder. He helped Hux out first, then grabbed Rhyz as the droid rolled to the ground. Dameron led them inside the building painted with an orange 7. The loading area was large and full of various crates and large metal shipping containers, but the entire back section of the warehouse was walled off and had two doors. Dameron led them to the door on the left and knocked with a heavy fist. 

It only took a moment for the door to open. "Hey, Poe! Hi Rhyz, hi Hux. Come on in." Rose was all smiles. She was back in coveralls again, this time green, but her shirt today was bright, eye-searing orange. It had a mandalorian's helmet outlined in black on the breast pocket. Hux had to wonder where she possibly found such ridiculous things. "Lusica is here. She's in the back. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Come on."

Hux steeled himself. He wasn't prepared for this in the slightest, but he would have to be. He wanted to hold Rhyz in his arms himself, but he knew his own limitations. His leg and his side were hurting far too much to manage it. Rhyz had already worn him down this morning. She had been far easier to carry when she was smaller and he could tuck her into a sling on his back. 

Rose led them through her workshop and did not offer any sort of tour. Hux doubted they had the time. It was a large space, as she'd said. There were tables and parts and half-completed projects everywhere. It was maddening. If he was going to be expected to work in this place, it would have to have some semblance of order and organization. Perhaps Rhyz could help. She enjoyed putting things where they belonged. He was enterally grateful she was not a messy child. 

Then they rounded a corner and he saw her. Lusica could have been a mirror image of Fohil - she merely lacked the red hair. She no longer wore a First Order uniform, but she did have an oversized datapad in her arms, and someone had entrusted her with a blaster that hung at her thigh. Her blonde hair was still tied back with regimental perfection, and her clothes - though casual - were pressed and fit her well. 

"General Hux," she said with a stiff nod, automatically coming to attention. "General Dameron." She caught sight of Rhyz. "Oh." Her breath visibly left her. "Sir…"

"This is my daughter," Hux said. "Her name is Rhyz." 

"Hello," Rhyz said politely. 

"Hello," Lusica said breathlessly. "I'm - my name is Lusica Stynnix. I, um. I knew your older sister, Fohil."

"Papa told me about her," Rhyz said, her voice soft and tremulous, "but he didn't know a lot. Did you know her better?" Lusica nodded sharply. Her eyes were red, and she swiped at one of them. "Can you tell me stories please?" 

Lusica looked at Hux. "Sir?" Hux nodded, and Lusica looked at Rhyz once more. "I'll tell you everything I can." Lusica looked at Hux once more. "I'm sorry, sir. I - none of us really thought you survived. We saw Allegiant General Pryde shoot you on the bridge and we thought the worst." 

"Wait, what?" Dameron asked. 

Hux looked at him. "I did tell you I was shot twice. Do keep up." He looked back at Lusica. "My father used to say I was like a borcatu. Impossible to squash." He gave her a grim smile. "It takes more than a lousy blaster shot to kill me." His fingers flexed as his hand aimed for the spot on his side where Pryde's shot had seared into his flesh, but he forcefully kept it by his side. "Have you been treated well?" He had the sense that Dameron and Rose were watching their conversation like Woodoos waiting for prey, but he paid them no mind. 

"Yes, sir," she said immediately. There was no hesitation, but he didn't think she was lying. She even smiled a little. "I think… I think this is the first time I've been happy since -" Her smile faltered. "Well." 

"Since Fohil's death," he finished for her. She nodded, mute. "I am glad to hear it." He was. "I must leave soon. The Justiciary wish to speak with me, and I cannot bring Rhyz with me." Her eyes went wide again. "I am entrusting you with her care." 

She stood very straight and tall. "Of course, sir." 

"Remain with Ms. Tico, please," Hux said. "I am, as yet, unfamiliar with the command structure, but -"

"I have no commanding officer," Lusica said with a small smile. "I just… help where I can. Usually, I assist Dopheld." 

"Such a waste," Hux sighed. Lusica smiled wider. He looked at Rose. "Dameron mentioned you might have a spare comm." 

Rose glanced at Dameron. "Sure. I can get you one. I'm just… surprised, I guess?" She walked over to one of the walls and opened a drawer and fished out a comm. "I didn't realize you actually knew who Lusica was." 

"Fohil and I were partners," Lusica said, holding her head high and proud. "We never saw much of General Hux, but Fohil knew he was her father. It was in her personnel file. And then - then she… died. I was promoted to Junior Lieutenant just a few days after her memorial service and moved to the  _ Supremacy _ . I didn't see General Hux again until after Crait." 

Hux took the comm from Rose when she passed it to him. "I would appreciate frequent updates regarding how Rhyz is doing. I have never left her alone like this." He gave her Rhyz' datapad and doll from the bag on his shoulder. "This is for Rhyz." Rose nodded and tucked it into her pocket. 

"Of course," Rose said gently. "We'll send plenty. I have all the contact info for that comm, so I'll make sure Lusica and Poe get it, too. We'll have tons of fun building stuff and playing around." She smiled at Rhyz. "Poe told me you really like BB-8 and that you want to build a droid yourself. Wanna get started on that?" 

Rhyz nodded. "Yes, please." She squirmed down from Dameron's arms and ran over to Hux, throwing her arms around his leg. "Is it okay, Papa?"

"Of course, my darling," he murmured. "I have to go now. I will be gone all day, but Rose and Lusica will take care of you. Be very good for them, all right? They will tell me if you are not." She nodded against his thigh. He rubbed her back. "I love you, my darling. I will see you this evening."

"Love you, Papa." Rhyz let him go and ran over to Rose, who caught her and swung her up on her hip. 

Hux looked at Lusica. "If you have the time, see if you can find Anye, please. I'd like to know what's happened to her. I know the likely answer, but confirmation would be helpful." 

"Yes, sir," Lusica said with a nod. "It may take a while. There is a lot of data to sift through, and not all of it has been collated." 

"Take as long as you need." He glanced at Dameron, then sighed. "Also see if you can find any records from one of the First Order occupied colonies on a boy named Nalij Lanto" Lusica scribbled down the name on her datapad. "The colony was in the Dagobah System." 

"I'll let you know as soon as I find any information," Lusica said with a sharp nod. 

Dameron stepped closer to Hux. "We have to get moving if we don't want to be late." Hux nodded. "Bye guys. We'll see you later." Hud nodded to them once, then turned on his heel and followed Dameron through the workshop and out into the storage area. The droid, he realized, had remained behind. That, oddly enough, pleased him more than he expected.

Hux sat in the front of the speeder this time, but he wasn't surprised when Dameron gave him a worried look. 

"Pryde shot you? Where?" 

"Here." Hux folded his hand over his side, just above his hip. He was grateful it was on the same side as the leg  _ Finn _ had shot. At least he was still able to hold Rhyz on his other side. Dameron chewed his lip. "I lived, no need to concern yourself further." 

Dameron shook his head. "I didn't know," he said, and Hux wondered at why he sounded so helpless. "Of course I'm going to worry."

_ Of course _ . Like it was a given fact. Hux wondered at that. 

"Well, it isn't pretty," he remarked drolly, "but I patched it up well enough." Dameron's fists clenched harder on the controls. "I was lucky to have a plan in place for my escape." It had been harrowing, and he only vaguely remembered those first few days - even that was largely from impressions, not solid memories. 

"You could have - you could have contacted me. I know I offered you a way out more than once." Dameron's jaw was set tight, the muscle jumping. 

"I couldn't have," Hux said, and he left it at that. Dameron didn't argue with him, just sighed heavily.

* * *

The meeting with the Justiciary wasn't an interrogation, but only in the sense that Hux wasn't under arrest. Formally. He was somewhat grateful to have Dameron by his side for the day, as Dameron prevented some of the council members from pursuing some of the more painful lines of questioning. By lunch, Hux was already exhausted, and he had not yet covered half of what he expected them to ask about. 

They'd discussed his role as a traitor, his motivations and what he had done and where he had been since he had fled the First Order. He had told them the truth. He knew someone would likely check to confirm his story, and it wouldn't do to lie about it. The second half of the day, he'd been told, would concern his role with the New Republic. 

There was a large dining hall in the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center, and that was where Hux and Poe grabbed a small meal for their brief break. Hux found some tarine tea and a muffin of some sort and refused anything more, despite Dameron's insistence that he should eat more. 

"So, I think it's probably a good idea if we take you and Rhyz over to the Medical Facility to get you both checked out," Dameron said as he ate a bite of his own meal - some sort of sandwich that did, honestly, smell quite good but which at the same time turned Hux's stomach. "I'm sure there's vaccines and stuff you both need, and someone probably should get a look at the blaster wounds you've got. There might be something they can do to help them."

Hux grimaced. "I highly doubt that. It has been nearly three years. But Rhyz could certainly use the attention." He was always worried about her, and there had been no human medical personnel on any of the last three planets they'd visited. 

"I'm sure Nastia won't mind heading out there with you tomorrow. Or Lusica. Whoever you want, if you even want anyone to go with you." Dameron took a bite of his sandwich after giving Hux an awkward smile. 

"I cannot pilot a speeder any longer," Hux said simply. He sipped his tea. It hadn't been brewed quite right, but it was still nice to have it again. "We will speak with Nastia this evening. If she is amenable, I would not mind her company." She had been a good officer. Not remarkable, but someone he had kept close because of her loyalty to him. 

"So do you mind if I ask what the story is with you and Pryde? You get this sort of  _ look _ on your face every time you mention him." Dameron pulled a face that was a cross between a grimace and a frown. 

Hux sighed. "He was an Imperial loyalist, and he served Palpatine to the bitter end. He was also friends with my father. He never liked me, and he made it quite clear. At first, it was general disdain. I was the son of Brendol Hux, and he, like most, assumed I had been given my promotions and rank because of my connection to him. Nepotism did not work in my favor, however. I had to work three times as hard to prove myself, though of course the older generation did not see that." He scoffed. "Anyhow, shortly after you all escaped, Pryde determined that I was the spy and shot me on the bridge in front of everyone. Embarrassing, really. Especially considering he didn't kill me. He always did have poor aim." 

Dameron shook his head. "You had your own personal assassin. Why didn't you just kill him if you knew he was loyal to Palpatine?" 

"By the time I found out that Palpatine was alive, it would have been too suspicious. He had already claimed his farcical rank of  _ Allegiant  _ General, and we were all stuck on the same ship. I was essentially stripped of my own command and humiliated because of the destruction of  _ Starkiller _ , nevermind that it did exactly what it was designed to do." He grimaced. "I sent Opan to another ship as soon as I could and I kept him far away, sending him on increasingly ridiculous assignments to keep him far out of Pryde's reach. I considered murdering him myself, but the opportunity never arose." 

Dameron nodded silently and continued eating. He didn't ask anymore questions for a while, and Hux was grateful. He picked at his muffin and managed to eat a few bites of it, but mostly he just drank his tea. Once Dameron had eaten, they headed back to the large room where the council had gathered to continue the meeting. 

Hux gave them an overview of his many and varied talents and answered their questions as they tried to determine what use he was for them. Dameron was quick to remind them that Hux had already agreed to be an engineer for them, and that effectively ended any and all discussion regarding sticking him on a ship somewhere in space and giving him a command. In a way, Hux was grateful. After that came the questions about what he could and would build for them, his agreement not to build weapons of any sort - and threats of punishment if he disobeyed that edict - and what he would begin working on first. They agreed to his condition about Phasma's prosthetics and any prosthetics anyone else wanted as well once they saw the partially completed designs he had brought with him and how they compared to what currently existed. After that, he was charged with designing a new communications system for the large military base on Coruscant. Hux agreed. 

Discussion of wages and other miscellaneous things came after. Hux was surprised at how much they were willing to pay him, at how little he was expected to work each day. Rhyz' school was located in the Core Square, not terribly far from where they lived. Dameron then gave Hux a significant look, and Hux felt forced to admit she was more than a little Force sensitive and would require some form of training. He also insisted Kylo Ren - or Ben Solo or whatever he was calling himself - would not be allowed anywhere near her. One councilor tried to ask why, but Dameron said it was a personal matter and didn't fall under the Judiciary's jurisdiction. A different councilor suggested that, since Dameron had said Lusica was familiar with Hux and Rhyz and was trusted to watch her, she could be responsible for collecting Rhyz from her school in the afternoons and taking Rhyz to meet with Rey for training and supervise. Hux agreed. 

With everything agreed upon, Hux and Dameron were allowed to leave. It was late in the afternoon, and two of the four moons were already visible in the sky. Dameron was quiet as he led them outside and found a speeder for them to borrow to head back to the warehouse. Hux checked the comm for perhaps the thousandth time that day, but there were no new messages for the last hour. He tried not to worry about what that might mean. 

As soon as the speeder landed, Dameron hopped out and walked around to the opposite side to help Hux down. They began to walk toward the door side-by-side. Hux felt very tired. It had been a long, exhausting day. The exhaustion reminded him of times when he would stay away for two or three cycles at the time, running the  _ Finalizer _ with brutal efficiency during small battles to claim yet another territory or to fight off a cartel that would not agree to their conditions. At least then he had been whole and had the benefit of both stimms and caf. Now he had a hole in his side and his thigh and no stimms  _ or  _ caf. 

They entered the workshop itself, and there was music playing. Lusica appeared in an instant, alert and a little defensive. She relaxed once she saw them. "Good evening General Hux, General Dameron." She smiled just a little. "Rose and Rhyz are over in the back." She nodded her head to the far right corner. 

"How has Rhyz been?" Hux asked, walking along beside Lusica as she led them through the mass of tables and parts. It was more of a mess than it had been earlier in the day. 

"Well enough, sir. She missed you, but we kept her distracted. She ate plenty at lunch, and she had a short nap around 1400. There's been no unauthorized personnel in the warehouse all day." She tapped at her datapad. "The search for Nalij Lanto and Anye Hux is still running, and the program estimates it will complete in forty-six hours. That's only of the data that's been collated so far, though. If I get no results, I'll have to search each of the remaining manifests individually. We've only managed to collate about a quarter of them so far, sir."

Hux nodded. "The Judiciary will likely contact you, but they've decided you're to be Rhyz' caretaker when she leaves school each afternoon. You'll take her to meet with Rey once I have spoken with her and worked out an appropriate schedule and location." 

Lusica nodded sharply. "Yes, sir." She slowed just as they rounded a table. Hux could see Rhyz and Rose sitting together on the floor, the BB-8 unit perched beside Rhyz. There were parts scattered around them, and they did truly look to be building something between them. "There was… a moment, earlier today, when Rhyz was concentrating quite hard on something. The small bits and pieces around her began to hover just a little." 

"Hence her need to visit the Jedi girl," Hux said, feeling the distaste curl in his mouth. He absolutely hated the Force for  _ infecting  _ his little girl. To him, it was worse than a plague. He hated to think that he would never, ever trust her once she was older and had more control, a better sense of the things she could do. Yet he would never be able to bear sending her away from him. He had fought too hard to keep her close. 

Lusica said nothing, but her glance at him had more sympathy than Hux felt he deserved. He left her side and ignored Dameron entirely as he knelt, slowly and painfully, by Rhyz' side. 

"Papa!" Her delight at seeing him was like a warm balm to his hurts. She quickly abandoned her task and jumped up to hug him, and he embraced her with one arm, breathing in the smell of oils and grease and burnt metal that suffused the warehouse, along with the faint floral scent of her shampoo. "Look, Papa." She sat again and began pointing to her work. "We're building a droid. It's just a little one." She gave him a big, toothy grin. It was the first time he had truly seen her smile in far too long.

"Show me what you've done so far," he said encouragingly, and Rhyz proceeded to do just that. Hux did his best to ignore the soft, indulgent smile on Rose's face where she sat across from them. She helped to remind Rhyz of some of the steps they had taken and the names of the parts and other small details, but it wasn't often. Hux kept one hand on Rhyz' back the entire time, grounding himself with the comfort of having her close and knowing she was safe and protected. 

Dameron cleared his throat to interrupt. "Hey, uh, just wanted to give you a heads up that Nastia is on her way in." Hux glanced at him and nodded shortly. Dameron backed away, apparently heading for the door, and Hux let Rhyz claim his undivided attention once more as she finished her explanations. 

"Hey Rhyz, what's your favorite color?" Rose asked with a smile. "We have to choose a couple for the droid's body."

"Orange," Rhyz said immediately, stumbling over the syllables. Hux didn't try to correct her. She hummed as she rocked back and forth. "And black." 

"Huh," Rose said with a soft laugh. "Okay, orange and black it is. I'll get the parts in the fabricator tonight so they'll be ready for whenever you're done building the insides."

Hux nudged Rhyz. "What do you say?" 

Rhyz jumped to her feet once more and danced over the mess on the floor before throwing her arms around Rose's neck. "Thank you, Rose." 

"You're so welcome," Rose said, hugging Rhyz tightly. "You've been so good today. Best assistant I've ever had." Rhyz giggled and Rose tickled her sides with a mischievous grin, which made Rhyz shriek with laughter. "Let's get all this picked up, okay? We have to put your droid somewhere safe so no one steps on it." Rhyz nodded and immediately began gathering parts and dropping them in a large yellow container nearby. Rose collected the tools and stood to go put them elsewhere. Hux struggled to his feet with the assistance of a nearby table edge. 

When he turned, Nastia and Dameron were standing just a short distance away. Nastia looked very much like she wanted to salute him. Hux gave her a nod, and she nodded in return. 

"It's good to see you again, General Hux." Nastia took a step closer, her eyes drifting to Rhyz. "Is she…"

"This is my daughter, Rhyz," Hux said simply. Nastia dipped her head in a low nod of understanding. She had met Anye once, Hux knew. "I trust you're doing well?"

At that, she gave him a very small, wry smile. "Surprisingly so, sir. General Dameron is almost more difficult to manage than the bridge of the  _ Finalizer _ ."

"Hey!" Dameron complained with a laugh. 

"It's true, sir, and you know it," Nastia said coolly. Dameron just sighed and nodded. "What of you, General Hux? It's been… a long time." She looked like she wanted to add something, but she kept her mouth firmly closed. 

Hux tugged at one of his gloves. "Well, I'm here now," he said simply. "That surely says enough." Nastia frowned, as did Dameron, but neither of them asked. "I thought I might ask you for a favor since you're here. I need to take Rhyz to the Medical Center tomorrow. Would you mind accompanying me?" 

"General Dameron leaves at 0700," Nastia said immediately, "and he will not return until the evening. My day should be free. What time would you like to depart?" 

"0900," Hux told her. He watched as she pulled a small datapad from her pocket and tapped at it rapidly. "I have been housed in the same building as Ms. Tico and Dameron." She nodded and added that, as well. 

"I'll be there, sir. Have you acquired a comm yet?" He gave her the small comm unit and she added her information to it and seemed to copy information from it to her datapad before returning it to him. "If I may, sir, Dopheld would like to know you are alive as well." She bit back some other comment she'd been about to add and hesitated. 

Hux sighed. "Tomorrow, perhaps. I only just arrived yesterday, and it has been a very long day." He looked over at Rhyz and watched as she carefully handed Rose the partially-completed body of the droid she had been building. Rose set it on a table beside the yellow bin. Lusica had joined them in their endeavor to clean up. "We still must have dinner this evening, and I'd like to get Rhyz to bed at a reasonable hour tonight." Dameron grimaced a bit and rubbed at the back of his head. 

"I defer to your judgment, General," Nastia said with a nod. "I'll see you in the morning and make my introductions to your daughter then. It's… very good to have you back, sir." Hux nodded to her.

"Just, uh, meet me outside when you guys are done in here," Dameron said. He headed back out to the front with Nastia after Hux's nod of agreement.

Rose and Rhyz soon had the last of their mess put away in some semblance of order in the chaotic room, and Rhyz bounded over to Hux. "Papa, Lusica said I'm going to school, soon." 

"You are," he confirmed with a nod. 

"What if I don't like it?" she asked, leaning heavily against his leg and looking up at him. He brushed a hand over the few strands of hair that had escaped her braid throughout the course of the day. "Do I still have to go?"

Hux contemplated his answer for a moment. "I think you will enjoy it," he said at last. "You must try it, regardless. More than a single day. It is very important, and sometimes we must do things we do not enjoy because they're good for us." 

"Like leaving all the time?" Rhyz asked, frowning. "Are we going to leave this place, too?"

"Not for a while," Rose said, cutting a look over to Hux almost as a dare for him to refute her. He didn't; it wasn't worth the argument. "Not for a long time." 

"A whole year?" Rhyz asked skeptically. 

Lusica laughed softly. "Longer than that, hopefully." She smiled at Rhyz. "Now, where's your doll and your datapad? We can't leave them behind." 

Rhyz dashed off through the workshop, and Lusica followed her at a slower pace. Rose looked at Hux with a small frown. "Poe looked for you for a long time," she said quietly. "It was really important to him to find you and get you back here, to make sure you had a place you could stay and be… safe." She bit her lip. "I know I tease a lot, but he really does worry about you. I think you mean a lot to him." She then gave him a small smile. "You should probably talk about that, you know."

"There's nothing to discuss," Hux said coolly. "I was unaware that I was speaking with Dameron each time I contacted the Resistance with information pertaining to the First Order, but it hardly matters. It doesn't change anything." 

"Doesn't it?" Rose asked softly. Hux had no immediate answer for her. "I'm not trying to tell you how to feel about anything. I'm just asking you to think about it, okay? And I get it, it's been rough, him showing up and you coming here and everything today. None of that can be easy for you - or Rhyz. But we're here to help.  _ I'm _ here, too. Whatever you need, just ask." 

That was an unfamiliar sentiment, just as much as Dameron's earlier  _ of course _ . He didn't know how to respond. He wouldn't agree - couldn't. If he did, it would seem too much like a promise to actually go to her if he needed anything at all, and he would not abide that. Nothing was ever freely given, not in his experience. He hadn't yet worked out what Rose wanted in return. Considering her lover was a former stormtrooper and likely had not one kind word to say about him, he couldn't fathom why she would be so willing to help him in the first place. 

Lusica and Rhyz returned before the silence became too tense and awkward. Rose picked up Rhyz and settled her on her hip as Luisca offered the datapad and doll to tuck into the bag on his shoulder. They then left the workshop together. 

"Need a lift anywhere, Lusica?" Dameron asked as he took Rhyz and settled her into the speeder beside BB-8. "I don't mind dropping you." 

Lusica shook her head. "No, thank you. I'm going to meet up with Rost and a few others. It's not too far from here." 

"Be careful," Rose said cheerfully. "Just buzz one of us if you need anything." 

"Keep your involvement with Rhyz to yourself for now, please," Hux told her. She gave him a serious nod. "Have a pleasant evening."

"You as well, General." She waited until His was seated and Dameron had hopped in behind the controls before giving them a small wave. Hux nodded in return, and Dameron shot off into the sky. 

When they arrived back at the apartment building, Rose bid them goodnight and got off on her own floor after shifting Rhyz to Dameron's arms. Dameron walked to Hux's door with him but didn't invite himself inside. He set Rhyz down after giving her a quick hug, and Rhyz darted inside. 

"I'll be gone, but you can still let me know if you need anything," Dameron said. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again. 

"I've managed to evade you and half the rest of the galaxy for three years," Hux said dryly. "I'm certain one day won't be too much for me to handle." 

Dameron smiled a little. "Okay, well, goodnight, I guess."

"Have a good evening, Dameron," Hux said. Just as he turned to shut the door, Dameron's voice stopped him.

"Hey, you can call me Poe, you know. I don't mind." 

Hux only nodded and shut the door.


	4. Chapter 4

The trip to the Medical Facility was… eventful. The staff was a mixture of droid, human, and other lifeforms to accommodate a wide variety of medical issues. Hux insisted on making sure Rhyz was attended to first, which no one particularly argued. She was mostly healthy, if a little undersized for her age. They ran a whole host of tests before giving her a variety of vaccinations. 

When it was Hux's turn, he sent Rhyz with Nastia to wait. The first nurse who saw him went tight-lipped and walked away without a word, and it took some minutes before someone else appeared. Hux figured that everyone would soon know he was on Coruscant now, no matter how much the idea displeased him. Anye had been lucky enough not to inherit his hair - if she had sensibly changed her name as well, it would be much harder to identify _ her _ as his daughter. Rhyz had no such luck. He tried not to think too much about how easy it might be for someone to attempt to use her against him. 

His exam took far, far longer. The second nurse seemed to have far fewer compunctions about who he was and what he had done and was mostly horrified by the state of the old blaster wounds. The one on his thigh had scarred badly, but altogether it looked much better than the one on his side. That one was obviously a patch-job and had never been professionally treated. Hux wasn't surprised in the least when the scans from the droid revealed some significant organ damage, as well. The nurse tried to demand Hux stay for surgery, but Hux asked him frankly what could realistically be done to make the problem any better, and that brought the poor man up short. He didn't have an answer. Hux told him he would consider it if and when they could actually solve a problem that involved more than excising scar tissue and making it look better cosmetically. 

It was truly an ugly sight, but Hux felt he probably deserved it. His thigh was puckered and dark, but it was mostly contained to an area smaller than the size of his fist. Even if the muscle had been permanently damaged, it didn't _ look _ terrible. His side, on the other hand, looked perhaps worse than it had originally. The place where the blaster had seared away his flesh was visible as a deep puncture. The scar spiderwebbed out from that point, the skin folding in on itself where it had tried to knit back together and had collapsed in on itself. The area was larger than his hand with his fingers spread wide. 

Hux was declared malnourished and underweight, given some supplements, and reluctantly released. The nurse did ask for him to return in two weeks' time, but while Hux nodded his agreement, he wasn't certain he'd bother. There was little enough they could do for him, and Hux wasn't willing to undergo useless surgery - perhaps not even useful surgery, not with his and Rhyz' positions still so tenuous. 

Dressed once more, Hux made his way out to where Nastia and Rhyz were waiting. Nastia, at least, did not coddle Rhyz as much as Dameron - as  _ Poe  _ \- and Rose. She stood with Rhyz by her side, simply holding her hand. That was more than enough, truly. Rhyz did not need to be carried about everywhere. 

Nastia didn't ask how things had gone. "Would you like to meet Dopheld for lunch?" She turned and led Hux out of the complex, Rhyz by her side. They walked slowly, but Hux couldn't have said if it was for his benefit or his daughter's. 

"I suppose I must," Hux said, tugging at his gloves. He hadn't worn them often while on Columex, but here, with these people who knew him, even with so many people who did not, he didn't like not having them. Nastia looked at him with a single raised eyebrow. "I have nothing against Dopheld. I am merely tired." Which was true. He also disliked the idea of people truly knowing who he was and that he was here on Coruscant. The infamous Starkiller, spat like a slur. 

Nastia pressed her lips together in a firm line. "Is there anyone specifically you wish to avoid?" She had picked up on those sorts of things quickly, which was one reason he'd kept her close for so long. She had been ill-suited to her role, but Hux had wanted her on the bridge, and she had done well enough to stay there, though not, perhaps, well enough to advance quickly. 

"Kylo Ren," Hux said with a sneer. "Or, oh, he goes by  _ Ben Solo _ now, doesn't he?" Nastia nodded once. "If he comes near my daughter, I will shoot him."

"He mostly keeps to the museums or art galleries when he is alone. If Rey is around, they are most often found together. They've repurposed a building as a temporary Jedi temple until a new location off-planet can be found and repurposed. There is a very small probability that we will see him." Nastia stopped just outside and made sure to tuck Rhyz between herself and the building so she was less likely to get stepped on or swept away by the crowd. Her datapad was in her hand a moment later. "Dopheld is at the Naval Intelligence Headquarters today, no surprise there. The Federal District is not ideal for lunch. We can have him meet us in the Lower Market District. He'll fret about it, but only until he sees you." She glanced down. "And Rhyz." Her hand brushed almost absently over Rhyz' hair. "He's never met your children."

Hux shook his head. Dopheld had never had the chance to meet them. He'd been aware of their existence, though. Everyone had. A fair few had also been aware of exactly how Nieah and Fohil had died, as well, if only through vicious rumors. 

He sighed. "Very well." He looked out at the busy crowd that was constantly moving in and out of the Medical Center. "I have a sudden craving for fish." Nastia smiled at him, just a little, and sent a message from her datapad before returning it to her pocket. She then took Rhyz' hand once more and led them out to go in search of a vacant speeder they could appropriate for the trip. 

Rhyz was a bit petulant by the time they reached the Lower Market District. She drug her feet and whined at everything and nothing, complained of being too hot and her feet hurting and being bored. Nastia didn't pay her much mind as Hux consoled her with gentle promises that they would eat soon. Of course that led to Rhyz declaring she wasn't hungry at all until she saw a massive display of sweets from every planet in the galaxy. Hux promised she could have some only once she finished her lunch, which almost resulted in a bout of tears and a tantrum. 

"Hux?" 

The voice was like ice water down the back of his neck. 

He bent and picked up Rhyz in a swift motion, tucking her against his good side, and tilted her away from Kylo Ren as he spun to face him. So much for  _ low probability _ . Nastia had gone tense beside him. Hux had no free hand, and with Rhyz' added weight he had to lean more heavily against his cane, otherwise he'd have his very small concealed blaster trained on Kylo Ren as well. 

Kylo Ren's eyes were painfully wide, and he looked simultaneously younger and older than the last time Hux had seen him. The scar that bisected his face was still there, though not as bad. He no longer wore the pure black robes he'd once favored, the ones that seemed to suck all the life and light from any room, no matter how well-lit. He did still wear black trousers, but his tunic was light blue, and the belt was brown. His bare arms showed lightning scars, presumably from that final showdown he'd had with Palpatine, which Hux had heard of from untrustworthy sources. 

"Get the fuck away from my daughter," Hux spat, aware that he was clutching Rhyz too tight, that he needed to loosen his hold or he might hurt her. But she was clinging to him just as tight, she was just as afraid in that moment. He rarely ever reacted so badly - and each time it had been because they were in danger. She was already beginning to sniffle against his shoulder. 

"Hux," Kylo Ren tried, his face crumpling. 

Nastia stepped between them. "Ben Solo, please vacate the area, or I will contact the Justiciary." Her voice was hard and forceful. "You were given clear and direct orders yesterday evening regarding approaching Armitage or Rhyz Hux. This constitutes your first warning." 

"I was already here," Kylo Ren said, his shoulders slumping. "I didn't come here to seek you out. I'll go. I only… I only wanted to apologize."

"Then write a letter," Nastia said coolly. "I do have the authority to shoot you." They were attracting attention, which is what Hux didn't want. Rhyz was crying in earnest now. Hux couldn't comfort her, not at the moment, not when he knew precisely how dangerous Kylo Ren could be. Some of the debris on the ground was beginning to levitate. 

Kylo Ren's eyes went wide. "The girl…"

"Is not your concern," Hux said angrily. "If you so much as  _ think  _ about coming near my daughter with your Sith  _ shit _ I will fucking kill you, Kylo Ren."

Kylo Ren recoiled from him at that. "That's not my name."

"Call yourself whatever you like," Hux said, bitter and angry and full of too much rage to really contain. "I won't have you force choke my daughter into submission or terrify her with your damned lightsaber whenever you please. A Hux she may be, but not, I think, another to be tormented and manipulated by a creature of  _ Palpatine's _ making." 

"I wouldn't -" 

Hux made a wordless sound of pure rage. "Don't lie to me! Who the fuck do you think was the last little girl with red hair you force choked into submission on Snoke's orders?" Kylo Ren's face went bloodless, and Hux may have been concerned for his health if he had been any other person in the galaxy. 

"I didn't know," Kylo Ren whispered. 

"You didn't  _ care _ ," Hux spat. "Leave. Before I decide to shoot you anyway." 

To his surprise, Kylo Ren turned and left. Hux was shaking with rage and pain from supporting Rhyz and probably because of Rhyz' uncontrolled use of the Force, too. He didn't quite care. Nastia quickly led them away from the scene and down a side alley for a moment of peace. Hux had to lean heavily against a wall and take deep, forcefully even breaths to calm himself. It took longer to calm Rhyz. Nastia bought her a small piece of candy on a tall stick to give her a little boost, which did help once Rhyz accepted it. Everything was not fine, not at all, but they were at least able to shuffle Rhyz to Nastia's arms and leave the alley and find the restaurant Nastia had been leading them toward. 

Hux wondered if Force users were drawn to one another like magnets. It would make a certain sort of sense. How else had Kylo Ren been able to find them in such a thick crowd of people on such a crowded planet in a district he normally did not visit? Hux had already decided he hated the Force, but today he hated it double. 

As soon as they were seated at a table outdoors in a shaded area, he ordered a very strong drink - the strongest he could get, really - and he didn't care that it was the middle of the day. He was going to go back to his new apartment and take a nap with Rhyz curled up beside him. Nastia didn't say a word or give him so much as a strange look. Hux ordered juice for Rhyz. 

Some sort of stuffed shellfish was brought to them with their drinks, and Hux encouraged Rhyz to taste a bite. She liked it and ate two of them to herself. Hux ate one of them - more than three days of barely eating had begun to take its toll, and he knew he had to have food. Better it be something he could enjoy if he was going to have to force it down his throat. 

"Oh, there you are Nastia, sorry I'm so late, this place was so hard to fi-" Dopheld cut him off as Hux looked over his shoulder and watched him approach the table. Dopheld stopped in his tracks, his mouth still open. "General Hux, sir." 

"Good afternoon, Lieutenant Mitaka," Hux said with a polite nod. "Please join us." Mitaka nodded mutely and took a few more steps to sit in the fourth chair at the table. The third was technically for Rhyz, but it was vacant because she refused to leave Hux's lap. "Rhyz, darling, say hello to Mitaka. Be polite."

Rhyz put down the shell she was playing with and smiled at Mitaka. "Hello, I'm Rhyz. Nice to meet you." 

Mitaka blinked rapidly. "Hello, Rhyz. I'm Dopheld. It's nice to meet you as well." He gave her a very shy smile, then looked up at Hux and the smile faded. 

"This is my daughter." 

Nastia sighed softly. "We just ran into Ben Solo." Mitaka grimaced, and Nastia nodded grimly. "It didn't go well. But General Hux is here to stay, as is Miss Rhyz. He has been granted a formal pardon." 

"When, um. When did you arrive?" Mitaka asked nervously. "Have you been safe, wherever you've been?" 

"The day before yesterday," Hux answered. "It was rather late in the afternoon. I spent all day yesterday with the Justiciary. Safe enough, I suppose. I kept Rhyz and myself out of immediate danger." Mostly. They'd only been actively shot at twice, which Hux thought was a pretty good record for being on the run from almost half the galaxy for nearly three years. "How have you been treated here?" He was genuinely curious. Both Lusica and Nastia had said favorable things - but that had also been in front of the others. 

"Pretty good, sir," Mitaka said with a smile. And Hux had to admit even to himself that it was probably true. Mitaka looked like he spent plenty of time in real sunlight, and he didn't seem quite as… tense or high strung, like he was one more bad day from snapping and murdering half the people around him. Or trying. He'd never been a good shot. "Their equipment is terrible. It's outdated and over taxed. But… I suppose I'm grateful they trust me at all. They didn't have to. My wages aren't quite as nice as they were with the First Order, but I'm not a Lieutenant anymore." He shrugged. "I also get holidays whenever I want."

Hux drained the last of his drink. "The First Order, crippled by a lack of holidays." Mitaka snorted a laugh. It was probably the first time Hux had ever heard him laugh. Nastia wasn't laughing, though. She looked drawn and serious. Hud waved away any concerns from her. "I am older than both of you, and I was quite literally the stepping stone upon which your conditioning and idealism was built. Forgive me if I cannot so easily dismiss the idea of the First Order and what it  _ should have been _ , not what it became in the end under Kylo Ren and kriffing Palpatine."

Mitaka and Nastia both were quiet for a moment, then Nastia set down her datapad and looked at Hux. "But it was Palpatine all along, wasn't it? That's what they told us. That Snoke was nothing more than a puppet for him." 

"Yes," Hux said with a short nod. "That's true, so far as I have been able to determine." He wanted more information on exactly what had happened on Exegol himself, but he didn't trust anyone to give him the truth. "But Snoke came later, after the first seeds were planted." He ran his hand through Rhyz' hair. "When it started, when it was small, it was just a bunch of angry former Imperials who wanted a new world order, and they devised the First Order. As it grew, it changed. They knew the Empire could never function the way Palpatine had once intended. And as the first generation began to grow in rank, the first generation began to alter things, too, began to make decisions and outline exactly what the First Order was, what it meant. Order to a chaotic galaxy. Peace through that order. Everyone has a place and a purpose. No more slavery and genocide, no more cartels. It was going to be glorious. And then it became about fighting a meaningless war." He shook his head. "I am distanced enough to see where it all went wrong, how it fell apart. But I do not think I will ever have the distance to see that the First Order itself was wrong. It was my life's purpose for thirty years." 

"Give General Dameron some time," Nastia said, surprisingly wry and amused. "He does less to try to convince us we are terrible people for having worked for the First Order than he does to convince us that the work we are doing now is what truly aligns to the First Order's overall mission." She shrugged and sipped at her drink. "He isn't altogether wrong." 

Mitaka shifted in his seat, and he looked uncomfortable. "It is… messy and complex, yes, and the New Republic prefers to give the individual planets and governments as much freedom as possible, but there has actually been a very little bit of real, plottable progress and improvement in controlling some of the fallout from… well, everything." He lowered his eyes and refused to look at Hux. "I did not wish to serve the Sith, General Hux, no matter what Allegiant General Pryde might have said about destinies and fate." 

"That's all a bunch of Bantha shit anyway," Hux said idly, signaling for another drink. "I'll not share my opinions on the New Republic. After all, they gave a monster like me a pardon." He sent Nastia a shark's smile, since she was the only one bold enough to stare him in the face. 

Nastia looked down at Rhyz where she sat in Hux's lap playing on her datapad, then looked back up at Hux. "I'll trust General Dameron's judgement on this," she said. "He may be impulsive sometimes, but he rarely misplaces his trust. Biased as that opinion may be." 

"Chancellor Julicara had a hand in our positions as well," Mitaka argued. "She never would have consented on General Dameron's word and faith alone." He looked at Hux. "There will always be those who hate us because of our affiliation with the First Order, and I accepted that a long time ago, but the chancellor is strict. She does not allow anyone to impede our work or threaten our lives. Anyone who does so is punished and immediately reassigned off-planet. A lot of the First Order officers died on Exegol. There were only a few ships that didn't go along with the rest of the fleet, and those who remained behind were skeleton crews. Nastia and I were left on the  _ Fellfire _ with Commander Klara." Hux didn't bother to hide his sneer. 

"The point is that there aren't a lot of us left," Nastia said succinctly. "From what Lusica has hinted at, those of us left behind weren't trusted to bow and scrape to the Sith. It was easier for them to leave us, go collect their Final Order, and then come blow us to bits later. Lucky for us, it didn't work out that way. Almost no one left from the First Order has any love or loyalty for the Sith or even the Empire. I suppose that made us attractive opportunities." 

Hux snorted. "They consider Dameron their best pilot. Surely they are quite desperate." 

"There are videos on the 'net that show his skill. He really is quite talented. Midnight would have been quite jealous." Mitaka smiled a little. 

"Enough of the pilot," Hux said with a sigh. "Tell me truthfully how things have been since you've been here." 

Nastia relaxed further, and Mitaka looked as if he was relaxed for the first time in his life. Hux listened to them tell their stories of their first few days of arrival. Their food arrived in good time, and Hux kept Rhyz in his lap, helping her as she required the assistance and otherwise eating only a very little bit of his own food. Mitaka kept the conversation lighter than Hux would have normally expected of him, but he did genuinely seem at ease. 

Apparently, after the Resistance had won the day on Exegol, they had gone to rest for a day or two, and then they had begun to go from destroyer to destroyer demanding a surrender. Most of them gave it. They had all been left behind with barely enough crew to keep the destroyers operational, much less man them in open battle. One or two attempted to fight - they lost, badly. Upon surrendering, they were confined to the ship. Dameron himself had taken command of the  _ Fellfire _ , and he and Rose, along with a very small crew acting as backup, had figured out how to haul the ship wherever they wanted it. The crew was taken down to Coruscant in transport ships. 

"And then General Dameron began to fight for us," Nastia said with a shrug. "No one asked him to, and none of us expected it. He told us we had choices, now. Forgive me, General Hux, but… that wasn't something any of us were particularly familiar with." Hux only nodded. He knew the feeling intimately well. The only sorts of choices any of them had ever had were 'do this, or else' where death was the usual alternative. 

"Most officers, like us, didn't know what else we could possibly do other than serve the First Order. When General Dameron suggested we might serve the New Republic instead, many of us agreed out of sheer desperation. It was more complicated than that, especially at the outset, but eventually, it all worked out." Mitaka smiled a little. "You'll see, sir. What will you be doing, now that you're here?" 

"Engineering whatever I please," Hux said with a shrug. "I'm going to build Phasma's prosthetics first, and I'll begin on a new communications system after. Beyond that, I've no idea. No weapons." 

"Papa," Rhyz said, looking up at him. He made an acknowledging sound. "Do I get to keep my blaster?" Neither Nastia nor Mitaka found it as odd as Dameron or Rose had that Rhyz had her own blaster. 

"Of course," Hux said. "Though I don't think you'll be allowed to take it to school. I'll have Lusica hold it for you while you're there." Rhyz nodded and went back to poking at her meal. There wasn't much left on the plate. He looked at Mitaka and Nastia. "Are we all finished?" They nodded. He paid for the meal, despite their protests. 

"I don't want to walk," Rhyz insisted once Hux set her on the ground and collected his cane to stand. His leg still throbbed badly, but while the pain wasn't quite as intense as it had been earlier, it was still more than he was accustomed to. "What if the man comes back?" 

Nastia was busy on her datapad with something that had claimed her attention for the moment. Mitaka stepped a little closer. "I could… that is, if you don't mind, General Hux, I could carry her?" He looked timid and nervous again, as he always had, and a part of Hux was a little guilty for causing that. 

He nodded. "That would be helpful, yes. Thank you. Rhyz?" He arched an eyebrow at his daughter. 

"Thank you," Rhyz said, already stepping toward Mitaka with her arms held high. Mitaka had a small smile for her as he bent and picked her up. He was a little awkward as he held her to his side, but Rhyz wiggled until she was comfortable, and Mitaka had adjusted to her weight by the time Nastia tucked away her datapad and rejoined them. 

"Apologies," she said. "General Dameron was relaying some of what had transpired during his meeting with Admiral Hallun. Shall we?" 

Hux set off, leading the way back toward the stall with the mountain of sweets. He had promised Rhyz a treat, after all, and he meant to keep it. It took little time to make it there, and Rhyz took her time directing Mitaka toward which sweets she wanted him to pick out for her. Hux rolled his eyes at her dramatics and Mitaka's indulgence, but he bought the sweets she wanted all the same. He was on high alert as they left the Lower Market District, wary of running into Kylo Ren once more. It didn't happen, though. 

When Hux and Rhyz finally made it back to the apartment building, Nastia left them there and took herself and Mitaka elsewhere. Hux was glad to be in a place where he was… not safe, precisely, but at least where he could lock the door. It made him want to hurry along Rhyz' little project with the droid so they had something to alert them if someone entered the apartment while they were out or sleeping, but he wouldn't ruin Rhyz' fun. Once inside the apartment itself, he put away the sweets and told Rhyz to get ready for a nap.

He and Rhyz curled up in the large bed in the slightly bigger bedroom Hux called his own. He held her close, always worried someone would come and take her from him when he least expected it. Coming to Coruscant had not lessened that fear. Dameron's promises hadn't, either. Some flimsy paper that stated Dameron had to take legal responsibility for his daughter in the event Hux was not present or able didn't mean much, not even with the Chancellor's signature scrawled across the bottom as well. Who was to say he would actually honor it? He could stick her in an orphanage or send her off to become a Jedi or anything at all. But Hux also knew that it was far more likely someone would try to take her and use her against him, just as his other daughters had been taken and used against him. 

As he fell asleep with Rhyz sprawled across his chest, he thought of Anye and wondered if she was alive and where in the galaxy she might be, if she was safe or not, and if she would ever forgive him for the things he had done to keep her safe - despite his failure. 

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know if you like this at all
> 
> i wanted to wait until i was completely done with this before posting but i decided to go ahead and post today bc its my birthday 
> 
> hopefully it won't flop idk
> 
> (title from habibi by tamino)


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